Of Age
by EmilyF.6
Summary: It started with a call. Now Kyoko is on her own. Or is she?
1. A Call

**A/N: Hi again! So a couple of things first off. First, I really enjoy writing fanfiction, and positive (and negative) reviews are really nice to recieve. To the people that added "The Halloween Party" to your favorites list (AND especially those of you who added me to your favorite authors list) Thank you so much! That means a lot to me. So I wanted to try writing something totally different. So hopefully this will be 1) at least somewhat different 2) longer. However, nothing really goes as planned so...we'll see. As for updates, I finished my last story rather quickly, but I can't promise quick updates this time. However, I promise I will try really hard to update at least once a week. Anyway, here goes...**

A Call

It all started with a call.

"Mogami-san, you have a visitor."

It's a bit more difficult to say where it ended.

Regardless, it started with a call.

The President of LME was known throughout Japan (and in several other countries) as a powerful, if eccentric, man. But there was nothing he could do about this. He didn't blame Kyoko for this, although he did blame himself. He could have dealt with this a while ago. A few phone calls, some paperwork, and everything could be solved. But now it was too late. Who was he kidding…the woman was ruthless. There was nothing he could have done to change her mind.

Still, the look on the young girl's face when she opened the door ripped his heart. The poor girl looked like she was going to try to run, but Sebastian was standing behind her. "I'm so sorry Mogami-san."

The woman began to talk at the girl who made no response. She just stared at the President as if pleading for her life. 'Please.' Her expression called out to him. 'Please don't let this happen to me."

"Mogami-san…I'm going to have to terminate your employment here. Until you come of age or receive permission from a parent or legal guardian, I'm afraid that you may not work here. " He didn't say anything as the woman grabbed her daughter's arm and pulled her out of the building like an errant child. Instead, he dropped his head in his hands and sighed.

* * *

><p>Yashiro was plotting. Ren was sure of it. "Ren, I need to stop by the Love Me room."<p>

"You aren't going to make Mogami-san be your replacement again, are you?"

"Of course not! I just wanted to…" They halted outside the Love Me room. Someone was sobbing inside. Afraid it was Kyoko, Ren threw the door open.

"Kotonami-san!" Ren stared at the girl, stunned. Sitting beside her, he leaned over. "Kotonami-san, are you alright? Are you hurt?" He wondered where Kyoko was. This was Kyoko's thing, not his. He had very little experience comforting crying women. Yashiro shut the door behind him and pulled out his phone, prepared to call for help if she was hurt.

"She's gone." She managed.

Assuming that someone was dead, he touched her shoulder in concern. "I'm sorry. Who's gone."

"Kyoko!" Kanae stared up at the tall actor. "The President fired her! And now she's gone! She didn't even say goodbye to me!" The woman dropped her head back in her hands, embarrassed that she was so upset, but devastated at the same time. "She's my best friend and she didn't say anything to me." She whispered. Ren stood abruptly, storming out of the room, leaving Yashiro torn. Finally, he sighed and sat beside Kanae. Hopefully Ren would fill him in later.

* * *

><p>"How could you!" Ren roared as he shoved the door to the President's office open with a loud slam. "She's been working so hard! She's finally found herself as an actress, and you fire her! What did she do!"<p>

"She's a runaway, Ren." The President said tiredly.

Ren stopped and, placing his hands on the desk, leaned forward. "What do you mean?"

"She ran away from home to come to Tokyo. Her mother came and ordered me to terminate her daughter's employment here. Legally, there is nothing I can do. No consent forms were ever signed."

Ren's shoulders slumped. "Where is she?"

"I have no idea." He said quietly. "I called her in yesterday and her mother took her out of the building. I had to take her cellphone so I can't track her. She can rejoin the company when she is 18."

"Do you have any idea what her mother is like?" He asked quietly.

"From what I gather, a very cruel woman."

"She will _hurt_ Kyoko." Ren stressed, discarding the honorific for the moment. "If not physically, then mentally. She is the reason for nearly every bad thing that has happened to that girl."

"There is nothing I can do Ren. If Kyoko is physically injured by her mother, then all we can do is hope that the poor girl gets to the police." Ren slid to his knees and dropped his head on the desk.

* * *

><p>In the dimly lit room, Kyoko stared out of the window at the rain soaked landscape. She had no idea why her mother wanted her back, but she didn't like it. 'She's planning something.' Since laying eyes on her, Kyoko had refused to speak to the woman, which seemed fine since she was doing plenty of speaking of her own. They were in their old house, the one Kyoko barely remembered from before her time at the Fuwa Inn. 'Moko-san will never forgive me. Tsuruga-san, who I was getting close to, will forget all about me. There's no way she will let me go back to acting, not when she knows I love it.' Tears filled her eyes as she pulled out the hidden purse with her Corn stone and Princess Rosa. She had known that her mother would take them if she saw them, so Kyoko kept them on her at all times. Kyoko clutched the jewel that reminded her of her sempai. Determination filled her eyes as she stared at the red stone. "I won't stay here." She whispered. "I've run away once. I'll do it again."<p>

**A/N: This was more of an introduction than anything, so the rest of the chapters should be longer. I hope you enjoy it. (Please prepare yourself...there shouldn't be much Ren/Kyoko interaction for a while...lol)**


	2. An Act

**A/N: If you have already read this chapter, please understand that I am going through and editing the chapters. If I have missed something, please let me know. Thank you for your patience. If you have not read it...please enjoy. **

Chapter 2: An Act

It was mid March. She had nine months. Nine months until she could resume her life, or attempt to pick up the pieces anyway. 'Who will take me after an absence of that long? What about school? Will I ever graduate? What about Box R? Will they replace me? Get rid of Natsu, the Natsu that I worked so hard to create?" The little jewel cut into her palm and she loosened her grip. 'I'll have to think of that later. I can't stay here for 9 months, although I need to know what my mother wants of me. Then I can go somewhere. I can't ask the President for help. Tsuruga-san is out of the question. If anyone found out that I was living with him in secret, his career, and mine, would be destroyed. Along with the fact that he could face charges…. anyway…Moko-san? No. She doesn't have the means and my mother would find me.' She stared out the window, the only place to look in this empty room. 'I have to get out of Japan. And quickly.'

* * *

><p>To say that Japan's number one actor was a wreck would be an understatement. "I have to find her." He mumbled over and over. "I can't live without her…not now."<p>

Yashiro wasn't doing too well himself. Getting his actor to and from jobs when the man spent most of his time mumbling to himself was a trick.

* * *

><p>When Kyoko's mother entered her room and sat on her bed, Kyoko knew it was time for the real reason of her reappearance. "Kyoko, I'm in a position to make a rather…lucrative business deal. " She gave a sickeningly sweet smile. "This business deal, however, depends on one thing." Kyoko refused to acknowledge the woman. 'I wonder how long it is going to rain.' "You're cooperation. You see, the head of the company has a son about your age, and he would like to combine our families." Kyoko focused on the image of Sho. That would keep her angry. Her grudges surrounded her, glared at the woman on the bed. Angry was better than terrified. "He only wants to do business with family, so of course this was the best way." She sighed. The girl still refused to look at her, refused to acknowledge her in any way. "You can ignore me all you like Kyoko." She snarled. "But I'm signing you over to Hayashi-san, so you'd better treat him with some respect when they visit tomorrow." Her mother stood and stormed out of the room.<p>

Kyoko stared at the jewel in her hand. 'Why would I think of Tsuruga-san at a time like this. He can't help me. '

When she heard the knock on her door, Kyoko jumped to her feet. "What should I do?" She whispered to herself. "Should I be rude? Mio? Seductive? Natsu? No. He can't suspect anything. Neither can my mother. Surely I can do that much acting.' "Kyoko!" She turned at the sound of her name and a knocking on her door. Looking down she realized that she had thrown on a pair of jeans and a simple red blouse. Running over to one of her suitcases, she pulled out her makeup and threw some on. 'I'm a profession actress. I am…' She closed her eyes. 'I am a rich young lady meeting her fiancé for the first time. I dislike my mother, but I am very good at hiding it. I already dislike the man because…' She looked down at the jewel and smiled. 'I'm in love with someone else. The man who gave me this necklace.' She tucked it in her pocket. 'I'm running away with him.' She opened her eyes and smirked.

In the kitchen, Saena smile at her future business partner and his son. "Please, come in. My daughter will be out soon. She's delighted to meet you, but she's a little shy, so please…" She stopped when she realized the men weren't looking at her anymore, but directs behind her. Looking back, she was barely able to stop her jaw from dropping. It wasn't the outfit. She was only in jeans and a wrinkled blouse. But…it was the air around her. It seemed…regal.

"There you are, Mother." The girl's golden eyes observed her respectfully, coolly. "Ah. Hayashi-san. Hayashi-san." She bowed to the men. "Forgive me for not greeting you earlier." She turned to her mother. "Do you need any help, Mother?"

The younger Hayashi-san had been expecting to be bored when he visited the woman that his father insisted he marry. But this woman…she was…captivating. The coolness in her golden eyes, the regal way she stood…he smiled. He would certainly enjoy trying to melt this girl.

Kyoko recognized that look, barely. It was a shadow of the Emperor of the Night… 'No! I can't think of Tsuruga-san now. He would be ashamed if I dropped character.' She met it with a shadow of Natsu's smirk when her mother wasn't looking.

Saena wasn't stupid. 'She's up to something. She can't fool me…she can't be that good of an actress.'

As they sat around the dinner table, Hayashi-san attempted to make conversation with his future bride while their parents conversed. "So, are you in business like your mother?"

"No." She sat her chopsticks down and placed them in her lap. "I dabbled in the entertainment industry, but I'm not doing anything now."

"So… are you interested in going into business?"

"No." She said softly. "I have no interest in business Hayashi-san."

"Please, Kyoko, its just Sachio. My father is Hayashi-san."

Her golden eyes flashed from cool to icy and then back to normal. "Very well, Sachio-**san**."

"Um…" he glanced at his father. Had anyone else noticed the personality switch? "Well… I'm going into business with my father."

"My mother mentioned that." She lied. 'A rich young lady would know about her betrothed, even if she has never met him.' Seeing her mother looking at her, she knew she had to at least attempt to make conversation.

"Are you originally from Kyoto, Sachio-san?" She asked quietly, folding her hands in her lap again.

Happy that he was finally thawing, he gave her a big smile. "Yes, actually. I spent a few years in Tokyo when I was younger but I've spent more of my life here. What about you?"

"I'm originally from here but I went to school in Tokyo."

"Oh. Do you like Tokyo?"

"Very much."

"Maybe we could take a trip there." He said quietly, hoping to excite her. She only gave him a tolerant smile and went back to her meal. "This food is very good. Did you cook it?"

"Hmm? No. I don't cook." 'A rich young lady would never do her own cooking.'

"Oh…well I guess that's understandable. It's not very common now for women to be able to cook."

"Really? Do you know many women?" He froze.

'How am I supposed to answer that? Does she care? Maybe I can make her jealous.'

"Well, I guess you could say that." He answered mildly. Kyoko only nodded. 'Playboy.'

After dinner, the adults left the 'couple' in the front room and retreated to Saena's office to talk business. Sachio took a seat beside the woman he thought was Kyoko. "So, I understand that this might be strange for you." She glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "But you don't have to worry. I'm not going to push you into anything." She trained her eyes back on the wall when he took her hand. 'My real fiancé would kill you if he knew you were touching me.' Tsuruga-san's furious glare filled her mind. Leaning his head in, he whispered in her ear, making her shiver involuntarily. "Why won't you look at me?" She stiffened, sending her message loud and clear. 'You are too close to me.'

Saena smiled from the doorway. "You see. He obviously likes her. And she is warming up to him." Hayashi-san smiled and nodded. His youngest son would do as he was told, but he would feel better about this whole thing if his son at least fancied the girl.

After the men left, Kyoko forced herself to keep character. It wouldn't do to let her mother know that she was acting. "What are you up to, Kyoko?"

"I don't understand what you are talking about, Mother." She answered from the sink where she was cleaning up. "I was making conversation with Hayashi-san, my fiancé, like you wanted me to."

Saena sneered. "Fine. Keep your secrets. But you can't get out of this."

'Actually, I can. And it's not that hard.' Kyoko thought as she dropped from the window with a backpack, filled with a few changes of clothes, her corn stone and princess Rosa, make up, and her passport, and her purse, where her money and other necessitates were kept. Glancing in the front room window, she smirked as her mother sat with her back to her, facing the staircase. 'Why would I be stupid enough to use the front door?'

Walking down the street in the middle of the night, Kyoko kept to the shadows as best as she could. Mentally, she tried to find any holes in her plan. 'I have enough money saved up for a plane ticket…she never touched my purse and that's where my bankcard is. I have a passport…so a plane ticket out of the country won't be a problem. But…will this really work? What will I do when I get there…' Sighing, she clenched her fists. "I'll go to the only person I can, and if that doesn't work, I've lived on my own before." She spoke into the darkness.

* * *

><p>When Ren returned to his apartment that night, he was surprised to see his answering machine light blinking. 'No one ever calls me on my home phone.' Pressing the button, he sat down hard when he heard a familiar voice.<p>

"Tsuruga-san…um Good evening. It's Mogami-Kyoko. How are you?" He laughed silently.

"Even now she greets me like a working stiff…"

"I'm really sorry to bother you at home, but... I just didn't get to say goodbye to you…. And…I hope it's not too presumptuous of me but…I wanted to thank you for everything you've done." He smiled at the machine softly as if the girl were standing in the living room. "And…well I know I shouldn't be telling you this but…I'm leaving. I hope that I can trust you not to tell anyone, but I'm running away again. My mother is forcing me to marry one of her business associates and…and I just can't." His heart clenched when her voice broke. "Hopefully President Lory will be able to help me after I turn 18. Anyway, I guess I'm just calling to say goodbye. And thank you." He jumped up and grabbed the receiver, pressing the redial button. It rang for a while until a man picked up.

"Yea?"

"Oh. Un…Is Mo…" Catching himself, he made his voice casual. "I apologize. Whose residence is this please?"

"Pay phone."

"Where!" Ren asked urgently. He had to find her. He would keep her safe…she didn't have to leave. The man named a corner downtown and Ren's heart nearly stopped. "Thank you." He managed, and then set the phone down. Looking at the Caller ID, he realized that she had called at 1:45 am. The clock read 3am now. 'She was in the middle of downtown alone at nearly 2am.' Grabbing his coat and car keys, he ran out the door. If there were any chance that he could find her and protect her, he would take it.

Although it has basically emptied her bank account, Kyoko had successfully bought the ticket (relying on a combination of Natsu's arrogance and Mio's confidence) to convince the lady behind the ticket desk that she was on her way to visit family. Of course, she doubted the woman really cared; it was 2:30 in the morning. The place was nearly empty.

Now, seated on the plane, she wondered if she would regret leaving Ren a message. She had wanted to leave Kanae one as well, but didn't have any more spare change. Besides there had been far too many men staring at her for her to try and stick around. When the waitress offered her a soda, she took it gratefully and, snuggling under the complimentary blankets, let herself drift to sleep.

The call came too early for Ren's liking. "Boy you'd better answer me honestly. Is Kyoko there?"

"I wish." He mumbled sleepily. He had been scouring downtown Tokyo until 5am, and it was only 6:30.

"She's gone Ren! Her mother is looking for her."

"Why does she suddenly want her daughter back so badly?" He snapped.

"IT DOESN'T MATTER!" Ren jumped when the President roared at him. "She is underage Ren! A 17-year-old girl has run away from home and is now on her own, on the streets somewhere for all we know. So if you know anything and you're not telling me…. so help me Ren I'll make sure you pay for it."

"I don't know anything." He said coldly. "You didn't seem to care when you fired her." He winced at the silence on the other end of the phone. 'That was cruel.' He scolded himself. "I'm sorry. I know you miss her too."

There was a long sigh. "We all miss her, Ren. Maria hasn't stopped asking about her, crying, begging me to hire her 'big sister' back. How do you think that feels, Ren? Not only that, Kanae is as big of a wreck as you are, and the director of Box R can't find anyone to replace Kyoko. But if we just wait for a little while, we can get her back. "

"What if…" He stopped. He had to be careful. Kyoko had trusted him, and he was **not** going to betray that. "What if her mother won't let her come back?'

"After she turns 18 her mother can't stop her." He said wearily.

"What if…"

"Ren, what do you know that I don't?"

"President just…please. Do some research on her mother? Please."

"Ren I…" There was a pause. "Okay, Ren. I'll let you what I find."

**A/N: Yay I managed to get a chapter done (while take a break from paper 1 of 5…back to work. Hope you like it! **


	3. A Plan

**A/N: So…as one of my reviewers pointed out, you become a legal adult in Japan at 20…not 18. This goes to show you that I did virtually no research…sigh. I kind of assumed that since age of consent is 16….well you get it. Anyway…I'll make it work….somehow….I'm just not sure how…**

** So for now, please pretend that the age of consent in Japan is 18…they changed the law for me :D (I may or may not go back and change a couple of things) Once again, sorry for being such an irresponsible author. *bows***

Chapter 3: A Plan

Kyoko awoke to a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Ma'am, we're landing in a few minutes." She opened her eyes and saw the smiling face of a stewardess. She glanced to the side. It was dark outside of the plane window.

"Passengers, please fasten your seatbelts and return all seats and trays to upright positions. Also, please turn off all electronic devices. Thank you. Welcome to California. It is currently 10:25 pm." Kyoko yawned. She had slept on and off throughout the flight.

After she exited the plane and retrieved her bag, she sat in the terminal, listening to the people passing her by speak at each other in rapid English, something her ears weren't trained for. She knew English, and could speak it fairly well when she concentrated and took her time, but even Kuu hadn't spoken this quickly… "Oh yea." She mumbled.

This part of her plan had been the hardest to figure out. She knew that Kuu Hizuri lived in California. She knew his phone number. She knew that he told her to call him father. She didn't know where exactly he lived, and she didn't know if he would help her. 'If this doesn't work out...' She sighed and leaned back against the chair, clutching her purse and resting her feet on her backpack. 'If this doesn't work out, then I'll figure something out. Standing decisively she went to find a payphone.

Standing at the pay phone, she dropped her head in her hands. "Stupid stupid stupid!" She cried. "Why didn't I exchange any of my money!"

"Are you okay?" She stopped beating her head on the wall and whirled around at the sound of a male voice speaking English. The boy was her height with light red hair and bright green eyes. His skin was pale and his nose was covered in freckles and was looking at her with a mix of concern and amusement. 'What a strange looking guy.'

"Um…yes." She answered him, clasping her hands shyly and staring at the ground. "Sorry to bother you." She said quietly.

"Don't worry about it." He offered a smile. "So you flying in or out?"

She took a second to translate in her mind. His English sounded different than she was used to hearing. "Um… I just got here. I'm…going to make a phone call."

"Ah. Okay." He looked at the pay phone. "Do you by any chance need some money?"

"Oh no! I can't accept money from a stranger! I…" He reached into his pocked and pulled out a fist full of quarters.

"Here." He dropped a handful into her hand and closed her fingers around them, surprising him when she blushed shyly and looked away. He was even more surprised when she bowed at the waist.

"Thank you so much sir!" He took at step back.

"It's only, like, 2 dollars." He told her with a laugh.

"But still! I'm a complete stranger and…." She stopped when he stuck out a hand

"Will." She stared at it and he smiled encouragingly. "Well, William Neal." She remembered that Americans gave their family names after their own names.

"Kyoko Mogami." She bowed as she took his hand. "Its very nice to meet you, Neal-san."

"Um…Will is fine." He smiled. "Its nice to meet you too, Kyoko." His smile grew when she blushed again.

"Well….I need to make a call….thank you again….Will-san!" He sighed and gave her a tolerant smile.

"No problem. See ya." She frowned. 'See ya? Why would I see him again?'

She dialed the numbers and leaned her forehead against the glass divider while she waited. Closing her eyes, she began praying to every deity she had ever heard of. Someone picked up on the fourth ring. "Hello?" The voice was male, but it wasn't her father's.

"Um…..Hello. May I speak to Hizuri Kuu please?"

"May I ask who is speaking?"

"Mogami Kyoko." She said quietly.

"One moment." There was silence on the line, and then she heard voices and shuffling.

"Hello?"

"…Father?" She was whispering now. She could feel herself shaking in fear. This was her only real hope right now.

"Kyoko!" She gave a shuddering laugh and a watery smile. He was excited. "How have you been? How's Natsu going? Julie and I have been watching all of the Box R episodes. I have to translate for her but she loves it. She thinks that you're brilliant!" He heard her sniff on the other line. "Kyoko, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

'He's responding just like Ren.' She thought with another sad smile. 'But what if he is angry with me for doing this. What if he doesn't want to be my father anymore?'

"Kyoko! Are you there!" She heard him panicking and hurriedly snapped out of her thoughts.

"Yes. I'm here. I'm sorry." A deep breath. "Father, I need your help. Please."

"Of course. Anything for my other son." She could hear the happiness in his voice.

'Could he get in trouble over this? Will he tell me to just go home? Either way…I have to try.' "Father, I need a place to stay."

"A place…Kyoko, what happened? Did Lory do something? Did your landlords evict you? Can't you ask Tsuruga-san? Oh no! Tell me Tsuruga-san didn't do anything to you!"

"No. I can't explain now. Can you pick me up please?" She told him where she was.

"I'm on my way." He said immediately.

"Okay. I'll wait outside."

"No! Stay inside Kyoko. I'll find you."

She sat on the bench by the phones, tears of relief and pent up fear running down her face. That's how Kuu found her about thirty minutes later. He ran over to her and pulled her into a hug. "Shh." He rubbed her back and rocked them back and forth. "Its okay. I'm here. I'll take care of you." Putting his arm around her, he led her to his car, and Kyoko was surprised that they weren't mobbed by screaming fans. 'Either he isn't as popular here or the security is better…' Was her last thought before she dozed off in the car.

She awoke when they pulled in outside of what she could tell in the dark was a huge house. He took her bag in one hand and her arm in the other and led her inside. Kyoko stopped in the doorway, transfixed. Automatically, she started to take her shoes off and trade them for slippers when she realized that there weren't any. 'Duh.' She wanted to hit herself on the head. 'This is western style home. They don't wear slippers.' Stepping into the inviting living room, she looked around. The fireplace made it look cozy, but the immaculate furniture and decorations told her how much money was invested in this room.

"Kyoko?" She turned and saw Kuu come in from the kitchen. "Come on. I'll show you where you can stay and then you can take a shower and get comfortable. But then I need you to tell me what's going on, okay." She nodded, but spoke up suddenly.

"Father…please don't tell anyone that I'm here."

"Anyone?" He frowned. "Does the President know you're here?"

"He fired me." She said softly, then quickly went on when she saw first the stunned and then the murderous expression. "He had to!" He sighed.

"Come on. You can tell me later.

Kyoko stepped in the shower and moaned at how good it felt. The water seemed to pound her troubles away, and took a deep breath of the hot steam. Taking a little longer than usual, she finally stepped out and wrapped a towel around her. Stepping into the bedroom she saw that someone had left a pair of pajamas and thick, fuzzy pink robe. Smiling she pulled the clothes on and tightened the robe around her. Then she padded downstairs and joined Kuu in the living room.

He patted the cushion next to him and leaned against the side of the couch while she sat.

"Where's your wife?" She asked quietly.

"She's on location in New York for the week." She nodded with a soft smile. "Come on Kyoko." He touched her hand. "I need to know what's going on if I'm going to help you." She nodded and launched into her story, starting with the phone call and ending with "and she was going to make me marry him." Clasping her hands in her lap, she waited for him to yell at her. Instead, he pulled her into his arms.

"Okay. This is what we're going to do. I won't call the President tonight, but I think he deserves to know where you are. I'm sure your friends are worried too. But we can talk about it in the morning, okay?" She nodded against his chest. "But listen." She looked up at him. "You can stay here as long as you want."

"You…you're going to let me stay with you?" She couldn't believe it.

"I'm your father. My home is your home. And I'll take care of Mogami-san for you, okay? Tomorrow, I'll call Lory and we'll see what we can do about this." He kissed her forehead. "You'd better get to bed. I'm sure you slept on the flight, but flying makes me tired anyway." She nodded gratefully and padded up the stairs again.

"Good night father." She called shyly. He chucked.

"Good night sweet heart."

Once again, Kyoko awoke in a strange place. Although she immediately knew where she was, she looked around. She had not been able to take in her surroundings the previous night. The bed was queen sized with light blue sheets and a dark blue comforter. Pictures of the ocean were hung up on the wall. Standing, she opened a door beside the main door to find a rather large closet. Her bag sat on a dresser in the corner under a window that looked out on a small suburb filled with similar houses and a distant view of a beach.

Another door by the dresser led to a bathroom with a shower and separate tub. Looking in the mirror over the sink, grabbed a brush that she had unpacked the night before and yanked it through her unruly orange hair. 'I wonder if I should dye it again.' She thought as she brushed her teeth and pulled on another change of clothes, this time a knee length denim skirt and a simple white top.

Downstairs she met Kuu who was fixing breakfast. He looked up from the skillet of food with a smile. "Good morning Kyoko."

"Good morning Father." She greeted cheerfully. It felt so strange to say 'father.' It was a good strange. She looked over at a clock. It was almost 8am. Kuu set a plate in front of her at the island and sat on a barstool, motioning for her to follow.

"We need to call Lory." He said halfway through breakfast, then again as soon as they finished. No matter how she tried to distract him, he held on like a dog with a bone. Finally, he just grabbed the phone and called, smiling a little in amusement when she froze in horror. "Hey boss."

* * *

><p>In his office, Lory was going insane. Saena had come by first thing two days after taking her daughter to, once again, demand the return of her daughter. Sure that either he was experiencing deja vous or the woman was crazy, he had only stared at her in confusion. "She's gone!" The woman had shouted at him. Immediately he had been worried. He knew the girl had run away from home once, but that had been with a childhood friend. This time she was alone, and all the horrible possibilities played themselves out in his mind. First he had called Ren. Then Kanae. He had even had a talk with Maria about lying and keeping secrets, just in case. All to no avail. No one had seen her. 'That's because she's good.' He told himself grimly. Saena had gone back home and demanded that he call as soon as he received any news, a demand that he had no plan to comply with. 'This is your fault anyway.' He had thought angrily as she stormed out, not seeming very concerned about her daughter's whereabouts.<p>

Now he picked up the phone and the first thing he heard was "Hey boss." The second was "She's here." And he was sure that he was going to pass out from relief.

"Thank goodness." He breathed. "Is she okay?"

"She's fine. She's staying with me." He then proceeded to repeat everything that she had told him the night before, minus the phone call to Ren, which Kyoko had never mentioned. She didn't want him to get in trouble.

Ren was in the middle of a job when Yashiro answered the phone. "Yashiro, tell Ren that we found her, that she is with Hizuri Kuu, and that he is to tell no one." The eccentric man hung up as soon as the words were out of his mouth. Relief coursed through Yashiro's veins. She was okay, so Ren would be okay.

* * *

><p>Ren looked over at his manager who was smiling at him and bouncing on the balls of his feet. 'Maybe het set me up with Kyo…' He stopped that thought when the familiar pain seized his heart. "Ren!" He looked at his manager who was anxiously motioning him over. Smiling tiredly, he followed his manager who insisted on closing the dressing room door behind them.<p>

"Yes Yash…"

"They found her. She's with Hizuri Kuu. You can't tell anyone!" He repeated the message with a smile and gave a half laugh when Ren dropped on the couch, slouching against the back and breathing a happy sigh of relief.

'Thank God. As long as she's okay and I know where she is, everything's okay.' He couldn't help but feel sad as well. 'She's so far away. I know she's with my Dad, and he would never let anything happen to her, I just want to see her. Maybe I can call her tonight. At least I can get in touch with her now.'

**A/N: Once again, let me know what you think so far All reviews are appreciated.**

***sorry you got another story alert. I'm just fixing grammar :)**


	4. A Start

**A/N: I'm sorry if you received an alert and thought that this was a new chapter. I am going through and editing the chapters. The only major change is chapter 7, but if you would like to look these chapters over and let me know if I missed any errors, please feel free. Thank you for reading.**

********In case you haven't guessed, I do not own Skip Beat...just thought that I would let you all know************

Chapter 4: A Start

As soon as Kuu hung up the phone, he started planning. They would need a lawyer to see if something could be done about this situation, but for the moment he needed to get Kyoko situated here. "Well, first things first." He said cheerfully and picked up the phone again. "I'd better tell Julie that our new daughter is going to be living here." Kyoko wandered into the kitchen and began to clean up their mess as he dialed, not wanted to hear that conversation.

'I knew that she would be here but…' Years of insecurities came to the surface. It was different with a father. She had never had one to reject her, but she had more than enough experience with her mother. 'What if she doesn't want to meet me? What if she tells Father to send me home? Would he do it? Of course he would. He wouldn't let me stay here if his wife didn't want me.'

"Are you okay?" The hand on her shoulder made her realize that she had been staring at the same plates for a few minutes.

"What did Julie-san say?"

"She didn't answer the phone. I guess she's at a shoot. But she'll call me back later." He helped her finish the dishes, and then took a deep breath. "Kyoko, I have to go in to work today, so I have to leave you alone." He said apologetically. "I'm sorry. If you want me to, I'll call in sick and make up for it tomorrow."

Horrified she turned to her father. "NO! You can't! You're a professional! Please don't let me keep you from going to work!" He chucked and stopped her from bowing.

"Kyoko, its okay. I'll go to work. But please remember that you are in America now. You might want to get used to speaking the language. And not bowing all the time." He chucked again when she blushed.

"Sorry." She mumbled. "Since you have been speaking in Japanese…."

"Its fine when we are here alone, but Julie doesn't speak Japanese very well, so I'd rather we switch to English when she returns." Kyoko nodded.

"Of course."

"Feel free to look around and make yourself at home. I'd rather you didn't go wandering around outside the yard though." He frowned. 'She's used to being on her own, and I don't want to start ordering her around, but I wouldn't feel comfortable with her wandering around the city by herself…I'll get her a cell phone as soon as I can, and show her around this weekend. "If you'd like to go out, of course you may. But I would feel more comfortable if you ask Jack to accompany you."

"Jack?"

"Yes. He's our butler. He helps keep the place tidy, along with our cleaning service, and cooks sometimes. He's worked with us for years now, and I'm sure he would be happy to show you around or answer your questions." He pulled out his wallet and slipped out a card, handing it to her. To curious and surprised to refuse, she studied it. "This is my debit card." Her jaw dropped, but before she could answer, he went on. "I know you couldn't have brought much in that one backpack, and I know you'll need more clothes and other things…" He stopped and made a face. "I'm sure you would rather go with Julie for some of that…but feel free to get whatever you need today."

"I…no…Father I…"

"Kyoko." His voice was firm, but his eyes were warm. "You're my daughter. It's my responsibility to buy you things. More than that, it's my pleasure. Parents love spoiling their children." Seeing the pain in the girl's eyes, his own softened and he put his arms around her and rested his chin on her head. "Real parents. Good parents. Parents who realize how lucky they are to have such wonderful children love spoiling their children." He held her at arms length and caught a tear from her cheek. "I know how lucky I am to have you as my daughter."

"But I still can't…"

"You can. I don't care if you go now or later, but I want you to keep that card." He turned and headed for his bedroom to get ready. "What's mine is yours!" He called over his shoulder.

Kyoko made her bed and straightened her room until it looked like no one had set foot in it since setting up the furniture. After doing the same to the bathroom, she paced. And paced. And then paced some more. "What am I supposed to do? I can't just wander around his house looking at things. That would be so disrespectful." She stopped in the middle of ranting and sighed. 'I can't just sit in this…my bedroom all day.' Standing, she opened the door and looked around, waiting for someone to yell at her to get back in her room, or worse, to get out. When there were no alarms, she took a step out her door and closed it silently behind her, careful not to make a sound. After turning the knob gently when the door was in place to eliminate the loud 'click.' Kyoko padded down the hall and began to peek in the rooms, holding her breath and looking around before walking past the doors that lined the hall.

She noticed that, along the walls, were family pictures. She smiled at one of Kuu, a woman who she assumed was Julie, and a small boy, probably around 3 or 4, standing between them, all smiling back at her. "Kuon." She whispered, touching the boy in the picture. As she moved farther down the hall, there were more pictures, and they were apparently not in order, as there were a few where Julie was still pregnant and a few when Kuon was a baby. She had turned a corner and was still looking at pictures when a hand on her shoulder caused her to shriek.

Turning, she dropped into a dogeza. "I am so sorry! Please forgive me, I shouldn't have been wandering around the house!"

When there was no response, she glanced up at the stunned face of an older gentleman. "Um…Miss? Are you okay?" He asked hesitantly in English, and she realized that she was speaking in Japanese.

"I'm so sorry." She repeated in English. "Please forgive me for wandering around the house."

The man laughed. "You must be Miss Kyoko. I'm Jack." He held out a hand and she shook it with the smallest bow she could manage.

"Um…it's nice to meet you, Jack-san."

"San?" He laughed. "Please, just Jack. Mr. Hizuri mentioned that you might need to go shopping?"

'When did Father have time to mention that?' "Um… no that's okay. Thank you but…"

"I insist. Even if you don't get anything, he wanted to make sure I showed you around the town." Kyoko was silent. "Come on." He smiled and headed for the stairs. With a sigh, she followed.

'Are all American's as persistent as Tsuruga-san?'

The first stop was the mall, where Kyoko repeatedly assured Jack (always Jack-san in her mind) that she didn't need anything. He told her that he was under orders from Kuu to get her anything she wanted, even if she refused to buy it herself, and that he had been given one of Kuu's (apparently numerous) credit cards. 'Does he hand those out to everyone he knows?' She wondered at one point.

Next were a series of giant supermarkets, other shops, and a park or two. When they went into a shop located by the local high school, Kyoko stopped when she heard someone call her name. Turning, she was met with a somewhat familiar face. Reaching into her purse, she realized she still didn't have any American cash.

"Please tell me you aren't still trying to pay me back." He chucked.

"It's good to see you again Will-sa….Will." She gave a tiny bow. He smirked and bowed clumsily.

"And you, Kyoko-san." She stood and cocked an eyebrow.

"Are you making fun of me?" Her eyes were cool and she let a bit of Mio's aura surround her.

"No! Uh…well…yes but…sorry. I wasn't being mean."

"Am I to assume you know each other?" Jack asked wryly.

"We met at the airport." Will put in. "Hello Uncle Jack?"

'Really. What are the odds?' Kyoko sighed and then smiled. "Am I to assume you know each other?" She asked, making the two smile.

"Wait, Jack, why are you showing her around?"

"Didn't you know? This is Kuu Hizuri's daughter."

"Please don't tell anyone!" Kyoko cut in desperately, then stared at the ground, hoping they wouldn't ask about the details of her situation.

"Of course I understand." Jack said gently. "You're probably not used to being in the spotlight, and are afraid of people finding out that you are related to someone famous."

'Well, no…not at all…but he apparently doesn't know that I'm an actress, and I'm not about to tell him…so I guess that works.' She smiled but didn't reply.

* * *

><p>When Kuu arrived home, the first thing he did was ask Jack about their outing. He sighed when he heard that the girl had refused to buy anything, but wasn't surprised. "Will she ever be able to accept another person's love?" He asked his wife on the phone as soon as he had finished talking to his butler. She hadn't been too certain, but was anxious to meet the girl.<p>

Meanwhile, Kyoko was once again looking at her Father's family photos when she froze. Here, Kuon was about 10 years old. It was the most recent picture hanging on the wall; she checked the entire hall again before returning quickly to this one. "Corn?" She whispered. Leaning in closely, she studied the blonde boy standing between Kuu and Julie Hizuri.

Sitting in the kitchen, Kuu hung up the phone and stared sadly at the wall. He always missed his wife the most after he had just finished speaking with her. When he heard approaching footsteps, he smiled and looked up. It was good to have someone else in the house with him. He truly felt like he had found another child and would do whatever it took to help her overcome her past.

She was crying. Jumping up, he hurried over to her and crouched down to come face to face with her. "What happened? What's the matter?"

"I think…" She took a deep breath and looked into his eyes. "I know…I know I've met your son. "

'How…how did she figure it out! I don't have any current pictures of Kuon! I haven't said anything that could link him to Ren Tsuruga! How could she know?'

"Is he dead?" She whispered. Stunned at the leap in logic, he jumped and narrowed his eyes in confusion.

"Of course not! He left home when he was 15. But he's fine. I've seen him…somewhat recently. Why?"

"It's just…the things that you said about him, I thought you were saying he died."

"No. He's fine. But how do you know him?" He was thoroughly confused now. She wasn't crying anymore…in fact she looked joyful. But if she had guessed that Kuon was Ren Tsuruga, then she would have never asked if Kuon was dead.

She smiled softly, her eyes growing distant. "I met him when I was little in Kyoto."

* * *

><p>Laying on her stomach on her bed, Kyoko wondered at her father's reaction. He had seemed worried at first, but he had seemed to accept her brief answer. "I wonder where you are now, Kuon. I don't blame you for lying when we were little. I understand that you just wanted to make me happy. But…why wouldn't you contact me?"<p>

Ren picked up his ringing phone. It was around 2 in the afternoon, and he was on a rare break. Leaning back in his chair, he pressed the green button.

"Hello?" He wasn't worried about rabid fans…his number was impossible to find.

"You have some explaining to do." His jaw dropped, as did the phone.

"Ren? You okay? Who is that?" Yashiro hurried toward Ren who hurriedly covered his mistake and, grabbing the phone, nearly lunged into his dressing room and slammed the door in Yashiro's face, vowing to apologize later as he locked the door.

"What is the matter with you!"

"She saw a picture, Kuon." His father hissed. "She saw a picture of you when you were little. Says the two of you met when she was little. In Kyoto. The timeline fits…I know you remember the trip we took to Kyoto when you were about ten. So…"

Ren pinched the bridge of his nose. This was going to take a while, and he only had about 20 minutes.

* * *

><p>When he found her, she was staring at the wall, obviously deep in thought. "Why didn't he ever write me?" She whispered the question, as if afraid of the answer.<p>

"I don't know. He never told me about meeting you." 'And I can't really understand why.'

"Do you know where he is?"

Hesitantly. "Yes."

"…Can I see him?" She looked at him imploringly.

"No." His heart clenched at her crushed expression. "I'm sorry sweetie." He sat down beside her and put an arm around her. "He would never forgive me if I told anyone where he was. I promised him…"

"I understand." And she did. He could tell. But she was still sad. She obviously just wanted to talk to her childhood friend again.

That's when an idea came to him. "But I know something you can do." He smiled, a plan coming together quickly.

Staring at the paper, Kyoko was overwhelmed. What could she possibly write that could communicate everything she wanted to say. 'Why wouldn't you write to me? Why did you disappear forever?' Then there was the most painful one. 'Do you even remember me?' She put the pen on the paper.

* * *

><p>Ren pulled the manila envelope out of his bag. The President had handed it to him with an order not to open it until he was alone at home. Inside the envelope was, much to his surprise, another envelope. It was addressed to Kuon Hizuri. On the front was a post it note. "Kuon, your father came up with this…not me! I am only the messenger, I swear! I haven't opened the letter, but I think this may be a good idea."<p>

Tearing open the envelope, he found two pieces of paper. He unfolded the one with his father's name on it. "Kuon, let me say that I am doing this for Kyoko, not you. I think that she deserves to meet the only real friend from her childhood, but since I can't help her do that, I am doing the next best thing."

Finally, he opened the one with Kyoko's name on it and smiled at her familiar handwriting.

"Dear Corn (or should I call you Kuon now?)

I hope this letter finds you well. I have to say that this has been a strange week for me, but I can say that I am staying in your father's house. I hope this doesn't bother you. Please understand that I am only staying here because of my mother. It is too long of a story to write now, but needless to say, it was the only place I could think of to go in the situation.

Now I will ask you the hardest question. Do you even remember me? Kyoko Mogami. I am from Kyoto, and we met when we were children. You gave me the most precious thing I own (please do not laugh…but I still have the stone you gave me and I still think of you whenever I see it.) Please, if you don't remember me, do not respond to this letter. I will then know that I am being childish and will not bother you ever again.

Sincerely,

Mogami Kyoko."

Ren put the letter back in the envelope, hurried to his office, and pulled out another piece of paper. He knew what his father and the President were doing, but if it gave him the chance to communicate with Kyoko, even if he had to do so as 'Corn', he was more than happy to play along.

**A/N: Thank you for reading. Let me know what you think. :) **


	5. A Meeting

Chapter 5: A Meeting

Kyoko leaned back against her headboard and stared at the letter, amazed at both Corn's quick reply and at priority mail. She had only sent the letter two days ago. She wondered if she should read it now or later, but she was desperate to get her mind off of Julie's arrival that evening. Kuu was due to arrive home soon since he wanted to make sure he was able to meet his wife at the airport. Meanwhile, she was alone with Jack for the third day in a row. She didn't mind though. It was nice to have some time to herself, though she knew that having nothing to do all day was going to get old quite soon. 'Maybe Father can work out a way for me to go to school here…or maybe I can act…though I would have to be careful not to use my real name.'

Finally, she turned the letter over again to read the front. 'Kuon Hizuri' was all that was written in the return address. Kyoko had seen the manila envelope her father had retrieved the letter from and figured that he had put his false name on that. Slipping her finger under the flap, she gently pried it open, careful not to rip it. Not letting herself stop and think about what the letter might contain, she pulled the piece of stationary out and began to read.

"Dear Kyoko,

First, let me assure you that of course I remember you, and I am very happy that my treasure was able to help you, and that you still remember me. Also, I am glad that my father is able to help you and you are welcome in my home as long as you like. I'm very sorry about your mother. I hope that things work out. Can you tell me anything about what happened with her? I understand if you would rather not. I assure you that my father hasn't told me anything.

So what have you been doing for all these years? I'm afraid I cannot tell you much about my life because of a promise I made to myself when I left home, but I can tell you that I have been successful and have 'grown wings and am flying freely.' I must say that part of that has been due to you. I've never forgotten about the sweet, encouraging little girl I met as a child in Japan.

What do you think of America? Have you met any new friends? Are you finding it hard to adjust? Please write back. I would love to hear from you again.

Sincerely,

Corn (Or Kuon. You are welcome to call me whichever you like.)"

Kyoko wiped a stray tear from her eye and smiled brightly. 'He remembers me…. and he wants to keep in touch with me.' Before she could grab another piece of paper, she heard "I'm home!" echoing throughout the house. She put the letter on her bed and jumped up and hurried out the door.

"Welcome home." She greeted from the kitchen doorway. He was finishing off a bag of chips while flipping burgers in three skillets. "How was work?" She asked while taking over two of the skillets.

'She really will make an excellent wife someday.' "It went very well. We're finishing up filming for one of my dramas, so I'm going to have some free time for a while. What about you?"

"It was fine. We stayed in today." He frowned in concern.

"You stayed in yesterday as well if I remember correctly." She stared stubbornly at the food. He decided not to push it anymore and changed the subject. "As soon as we eat, I'll be leaving. Are you sure you don't want to come?" She nodded. 'It would be far too awkward to stand by while you lovingly greeted your wife, then had you introduce us. I would be intruding.' "Well, we're going out to dinner afterwards. Would you like me to bring you anything?"

She smiled softly. "No thank you. I'll cook something if that's okay."

"Of course it's okay." He noticed the fear in her eyes. "She's going to love you. I already told you that she was excited to meet you." She only nodded. Sighing, he pushed his empty plate away and squeezed her shoulder. She hadn't eaten but a few bites. "Make sure you finish that." He told her sternly, then took the dish to the sink and left them for Jack to do. Passing her again on his way out, he kissed her forehead and tossed a goodbye over his shoulder.

Kyoko nibbled at her food for a bit, fear sitting in her stomach like a brick. All the food tasted like plastic; so she finally scraped the leftovers in the garbage, suppressing her inner scolding at her own wastefulness. Letting her feet take her where they would, she found herself smelling chlorine. Kuu hadn't given her a tour of the house, so she walked toward the smell and came to a door with a mat in front. Pushing it open, she immediately wrinkled her nose at the now stronger smell and tried to take in the Olympic regulation size pool. To the side was a larger than normal hot tub. Walking carefully around the side, she found two more doors, one with a sign that said 'men and another that said 'women.' Turning the knob on one of the doors, she found herself in a large room filled with towels, goggles, masks, a few sets of snorkeling gear, and an entire rack of bathing suits, from one pieces to bikinis. Skimming the bathing suit rack, careful not to touch any of them, Kyoko wondered why her father would own an entire display of swimsuits.

* * *

><p>Jack found her an hour later sitting by the pool, staring at the water. Kuu had called him and asked him to check on her during the day while she was alone. He was obviously worried about her, and Jack didn't mind talking to the girl. She sometimes reminded him of a carnival attraction you insert money into and then watch move. At the moment, the only movement coming from her was the occasional drumming of her fingers.<p>

"Good afternoon Miss Kyoko."

"Good morning, Jack-san." She greeting with a sweet, if absentminded, smile that he couldn't help return.

"I see you found the pool." She looked sheepish and he laughed. "I was going to give you a tour at some point but it seems like you are enjoying exploring on your own. Did you want to go swimming?"

"Um…I don't have a swimsuit."

"I'm pretty sure Mrs. Hizuri has at least thirty in her dressing room. And she has more, in every size imaginable, in the storage closet in the back."

"I can't use her swimsuits!" She cried, jumping up from the deck chair.

"I don't see why not. Everyone who visits is welcome to borrow them. You're her new daughter, hardly a visitor." The older man frowned at the pained look on the girls face and lowered himself onto a chair beside hers, waiting for her to sit back down. When she did, she stared into the water as if she could see her own past being played out. Kuu hadn't told him much about the girl but he had guessed enough. "Kuu talks about you all the time." He said softly. "I remember when he came home after first meeting you. He kept telling Julie, and anyone else who would listen, how amazing his 'second son' was, how talented she was, how she was going to be the best actress in Japan." Kyoko blushed and tried to hide the smile on her face. 'So he does know that I'm an actress...he must have realized that I wanted to keep it a secret.' "He told his wife that he had wanted to visit you on your birthday this year, and she insisted on being allowed to go along to be meet you." She didn't respond, but he could see how happy and embarrassed she was. "I'm not sure what your actual parents are like." He said softly as he stood. "But I'd say that you have two of the most loving adoptive parents of any child in America."

* * *

><p>Kuu sat across from his wife in the restaurant, wishing that he were beside her. She smiled and pulled one of her hands away to take a drink of her water. After telling him all about the trip, she was desperate to hear about Kyoko. Sensing this, Kuu sighed. "I don't really know what to do Julie."<p>

"Why? Is she okay? What's wrong with her?"

"She's not happy. I mean, I thought about getting her into a school here or trying to get in into an audition or an acting school…anything to get her out of the house for a while…"

"Kuu, it's only been, what, 4 days? You have to give her time to adjust. Meanwhile, what are you and Lory doing to fix the situation?"

"Lory is working on it. Since filming is wrapping up on my old project, I've been going in every day."

"You left Kyoko alone every day?"

"Julie, it would have been worse if I had taken off of work. Kyoko would have thrown a fit. She's worse than us about professionalism."

"Well then, I'll just have to take her out this weekend. I'll bet she'll like that."

"Maybe…she won't let me buy her anything and she acts like she waiting for me to yell at her every time she eats something. And she's really nervous about meeting you." Julie didn't have to ask about that. She knew as much as Kuu did about the girl's past and could understand her fear, but she wanted to help her new daughter and would do anything it took to accomplish that.

* * *

><p>The house was dark when they arrived home. No one responded when Kuu called 'I'm home' and the kitchen was empty and spotless. Julie went straight to their bedroom to change while Kuu searched for Kyoko. He didn't have to look far. Kyoko was sitting on her bed, hugging her knees, her face tucked between them. "I'm home." He said quietly.<p>

Kyoko had left the pool a little while ago and made herself comfortable on the bed, wondering about her new 'mother.' But the word mother had very quickly brought up old, and a few new, memories and she was now stuck reliving her past. She was currently thinking about her mother's plot to marry her off for money when she felt a hand on the back of her neck. Squeaking, she jumped a mile and whirled to come face to face with two very concerned faces.

"You don't have a fever. Are you okay?" Kuu had replaced his hand on her forehead. "Are you feeling sick?" Julie, who Kyoko suddenly realized was in the room, was hovering close by.

"Julie-san!" Kyoko cried, suddenly jumping to her feet and bowing deeply, startling Kuu who jerked his hand back. It's nice to…" She froze. 'No Japanese! Julie doesn't know very much.' Switching to English, she stayed in her bowing position. "Julie-san, It's nice to meet you! Thank you very much for allowing me to stay in your home. I hope…" She froze when she felt someone pull her up and wrap their arms around her. Stiffening at first, she took a deep breath and found herself relaxing. 'I feel safe…just like with Tsuruga-san…' She rested her head against the woman's shoulder. Julie smiled softly.

"It's very nice to meet you sweetheart." She held the girl at arms length and stared at her for a moment. "But if you call my husband 'Father' then it only stands to reason that you should call me 'Mother,' don't you think?" When the girl nodded shyly, she smiled and then started looking her up and down. "Hmm. You really don't look like your characters. But that's not a bad thing..." She took a step back. "Your face is expressive…very expressive. Your eyes are gorgeous. Hair…obviously died but it's cute on you. It would look good if you let it out as well. Figure…small but…cute. With the right clothes…"

"Julie! You just got off of work. Maybe you should…" Kuu was silenced with a finger.

"Have you ever modeled before Kyoko?"

The girl turned bright red, making Julie giggle. "No…um…. no I…I couldn't! I'm not…I don't look like..."

"Kyoko, why don't you come with me tomorrow? I might be able to get you an audition in my agency."

"…I can't sign any contract without…"

"Oh I know. Trust me, Lory's working on that. But…well just trust me. I'll see what I can do. It will get you out of the house anyway, and I want to get to know you, since Kuu got such a head start!" Kuu backed out of the room when Julie started going through Kyoko's wardrobe (about five outfits) and nearly started crying.

'This is going to work out just fine.'

* * *

><p>"Dear Corn,<p>

First, I think I will keep calling you Corn. I know you might think it silly, but I will probably always think of you as Corn, sine that is how I first met you. I hope you don't mind. I met your mother today and (if the quickness of your reply was any indication) as you read this I may be with her in her agency. She believes that she can find a way for me to find work here and still work on my acting. This is so exciting. I don't know if it will work out, but she and Kuu tell me that President Lory is working on the custody issue. I hope that he is successful. Other than that, I really am enjoying myself. Adjusting to America is hard but…I think I will get used to it soon.

As for my mother, I probably shouldn't trouble you with my problems, but you did ask me. My mother returned, a little over ten years after abandoning me when I was little, and made me quit my job, which I loved more than anything, and she was going to force me to marry the son of one of her business partners for a business deal. After I found out what she was going to do, I ran away and bought a plane ticket. I don't think she will look for me here, and I don't know if she can force me to return, but I know that I can't marry a man I don't know. If she finds me, I honestly don't know what I'll do. She can force me to marry him, and I know that he….

I'm sure you can fill in the details on your own. Needless to say, I am glad to be here in America rather than in Japan at the moment, although I miss my friends so much, especially my sempai, Ren, and my best friend, Kanae. I wasn't able to say goodbye to them before I left.

As for you, I am so glad that you are doing well, and that you are 'flying freely.' I hope that one day that I can meet you. Please take care.

Sincerely,

Kyoko"

Ren smiled as he read the letter, and then picked up the phone to call Lory. There had to be something he could do with this information.

**A/N: Long weekend…but here's a new chapter! I really enjoyed writing this one, and I'm happy that Julie is now in the story. I really like her (as a potential character…lol. Since we never really get to meet her) and I hope she is in the manga soon. Btw, I loved the new chapter of Skip Beat! Can't wait for the new one. Please excuse any grammatical mistakes and spelling errors! I'm really sorry. (And I'm so sorry for spelling Kyoko's mother's name wrong! I'm going to go back and fix it as soon as I can!)**


	6. Comfort

**Author's Note**

**A/N: So I figured it was kind of obvious, but I do not own Skip Beat. At all. Ever. I can't draw, I know very little Japanese, and I'm obviously not that great at character development. So no. Skip Beat does not belong to me and is the sole property of a woman in Japan. **

**A/N 2: I wrote part of this in math class…. and the other part while I should have been studying. Lol. Hope you like it. Please let me know what you think.**

**The Last A/N before the story, I swear!: So about the legal issues. A few people have messaged me about this and just let me say that I know very little (nothing) about the legal system in Japan, so the details will probably not be included. Please don't be mad! If you want to message me some tidbits about the adoption laws/abandonment laws/age laws/etc. of Japan, please feel free. That would be greatly appreciated. **

**/Author's Note**

Chapter 6: Comfort

(Making all the titles sound the same is getting annoying so I'm giving up…)

"And this is my workroom." Julie led Kyoko into the back room in her office, which rivaled President Lory's. Julie had been giving her a tour of her modeling agency and the last stop for the morning was her office. Her workroom was relatively small compared to her expansive office that looked like a formal living room. It had a giant mahogany desk, with its slightly smaller twin for her manager, Sarah Robins, in the next room, two sofas, a large coffee table, four stuffed chairs, and even a kitchenette, but the workroom was as, if not more, impressive. While the office seemed inviting and cozy, the workroom was modern and sleek. The furniture was all white and black and, more impressive, spotless. In the corner, a large black filing cabinet was filled with magazines, sketches, and articles cut from magazines. Another one was filled with fabric samples and sewing supplies. Another desk, the size of a dining room table, was covered in plans, sketches, and fabric, along with a few pictures of Julie and Kuu, along with some other people Kyoko had never seen who she assumed were Julie's parents. "Forgive the mess. I haven't had time to clean up and usually only my assistants come back here anyway. I'll introduce you to them later."

"Oh. How many assistants do you have, Julie-san?" Kyoko froze when her grudge antenna flew across the room in delight. Turning slowly, she found herself looking into a very bright, very fake, lying smile. Throwing herself on the floor, Kyoko began to apologize frantically.

Now it was Julie's turn to be surprised. "Kyoko!" She managed to interrupt, thoroughly confused. "I have no idea what you are saying."

Realizing that she had switched to Japanese, she started her apology over, this time in English, and threw in a few more apologies for her extreme rudeness. She stopped short when she felt a hand on her back. Looking up from the floor, she met Julie's sad eyes. The woman was kneeling on the floor next to her. "Kyoko, you did nothing wrong. Please don't ever think that you need to bow and apologize to me. I just wanted you to call me 'mother.'" She gave a sheepish smile. "I always wanted a daughter, and I was hoping that I could think of you as my daughter while you were here, since my husband does. But if this makes you uncomfortable…"

"No!" She looked at Julie sheepishly. "It's just…I don't know what it's like to have a mother…a real mother." She blushed at stared at the ground, her eyes growing soft. "I would like to call you mother but…it will take getting used to." Julie pulled Kyoko against her and squeezed gently.

"I understand completely. We'll just have to work on that."

* * *

><p>Ren sat across from the President and stifled a yawn, trying to remember why the President had demanded to see him at 4 am. But the President seemed perfectly fine. He had told Yashiro not to bother coming with him to this ridiculously early meeting. After telling the President about the contents of the letter (the ones about her mother anyway), Lory had told him to come and help. Currently the man was on the phone with a lawyer and Ren was wishing for coffee. As he was about to nod off, Lory's booming voice made him jerk awake. "Abandonment! That's the only thing I have, unless her mother abused her. That would make it easier." Lory waved away Ren's incredulous expression.<p>

"But, wouldn't you need a new legal guardian for that?"

"Of course."

"Who would you get?"

"Well…. what about you?" When Ren turned pale, Lory laughed loudly. "Just kidding." He smiled softly. "Actually Kuu and Julie would be the best choices, but I'm sure you would have a problem with that too…so I was thinking about doing it myself."

"Wait…you are going to adopt Kyoko?" He asked quietly.

"Well, it's not quite that simple…but…" He sighed. "You aren't the only one who cares for the girl, Ren. I wouldn't mind giving Kyoko a place to stay while she works here."

"What about her? Won't she need to give her consent to any of this?"

"I'm working on it, Ren. But that's all for now. You can go on home and get some rest."

"Wait…why did you even need me here?"

"Hmm? Oh, I needed someone to keep me company, and Sebastian wouldn't do it. See you later, Ren!" Said man groaned and slammed the door on his way out. There wasn't any point in complaining. In a daze, he drove home and entered his apartment on autopilot.

Pulling out his phone, he dialed Yashiro's phone. He looked at his clock. 4:45 A.M. Not surprisingly, it went to voice mail. "Yashiro, as soon as you get this, please call and cancel my 6:30 shoot, my 9:00 filming, my 10:30 interv…oh screw it. Just cancel everything before 2:00." He dropped his phone as he fell into bed.

* * *

><p>Yashiro groaned and rolled over in his bed to look at the clock. 5:00 A.M. Time to get up anyway. Not bothering to look at his phone, he hurried into the shower and scarfed down some breakfast. Ren would be at his house at 6, and he needed to be ready. At 5:45, he was ready and sat down to look at a newspaper. At 6:04, he started to worry. Pulling on a latex glove, he picked up his phone and was surprised to see that he had a new voicemail. "Yashiro, as soon as you get this, please call and cancel my 6:30 shoot, my 9:00 filming, my 10:30 interv…oh screw it. Just cancel everything before 2:00." Sighing, Yashiro pulled out his planner and looked for the contact information he would need to clear his exhausted client's schedule.<p>

* * *

><p>Kanae sat in the Love Me office, grumbling to herself about paperwork. Honestly, she had been lost in her thoughts for an hour now and had no idea what she was currently doing. 'How could so do this to me? I thought we were friends! <strong>SHE<strong> wanted to be friends with me! Not the other way around. I told her my secrets and even went to that STUPID ice cream shop with her! And every time she saw me, she had to scream that idiotic nickname and squeeze me to death, making everyone look at us like freaks! And what does she do? She leaves. And never bothers with a goodbye! So I'm stuck in this stupid Love Me section with that other girl who I never even talk to!' Said girl entered the room and offered her a sad smile.

"Hey Mo…"  
>Kanae leapt to her feet. "Don't call me that!" She snarled. "Only Kyoko can call me that! And she left, so I don't ever want to hear that stupid nickname again! It's Kotonami-san! You got that!" She stormed out of the room, coming face to face with Tsuruga's manager whose name she found herself constantly forgetting. "What do you want glasses-kun?" She snapped. The man's eyes widened and he took a step back and raised his hands in surrender.<p>

"I just wanted to know if you could help with some paper…are you okay?" He stopped midsentence when he saw furious tears running down her face. "Um…Kotonami-san…are you…" She just shoved him out of the way and ran down the hall. "Um…" Turning he followed her with his eyes.

'What just happened?' Forcing his legs to work, he hurried after her and came face to face with a door slammed in his face. Knocking, he hesitantly pushed it open. "Um…are you…can I…?" She had her head resting against her clenched fists, tears streaming down her face.

"What!" She cried, glaring at him.

"Is there anything I can…"

"NO!" She interrupted. "There isn't. So go away." Sighing, he started to leave. "She had no idea how much she meant to everyone around here." He heard her whisper. "No idea how important she had become. I didn't even like her!" Kanae jumped to her feet and continued to glare. "I hated her! She was my rival!" Yashiro stared at her as she took a few threatening steps closer. "Then she said that…that she'd never had a friend before, and that she was so happy to have me as her first female friend. And she kept saying that we were best friends! And stupid me, I got used to it!" Kanae let her arms drop and clenched her eyes. "And now I don't know what to do without her." She looked up at Yashiro. 'I need someone to lean on…anyone…I've grown so used to having someone there…oh whatever. He'll do.' She rested her head on his shoulder, letting herself sob. "Sorry glasses-kun." She mumbled. He just hesitantly patted her back and tried to calm her down.

'This is Ren's thing, not mine! Okay. Just pat her back. Hmm…she smells nice…NO! She's only….how old is she? 17? Probably. Or 18…I'm only 25…7 years. Not so bad. She's legal…NO! Stop that! She's Kyoko's age! Just a little girl…but she doesn't feel like…STOP THAT!' He screamed at himself as Kanae shifted closer to him. 'Is this what Ren went through?'

* * *

><p>Julie led Kyoko around the agency all day. Kyoko managed to impress everyone without knowing, making Julie laugh at the naturally sweet girl. When Julie finally began working again, Kyoko sat by and watched, offering help whenever she could and praising all of Julie's designs. After a period of silence, Julie looked up. "So what do you think of America?"<p>

"Huh? Oh, um, it's…nice." She said quietly.

"Kyoko, I'm your mother." She sat down the pen she was holding and sat next to the girl. "Can't you be honest with me?"

'Does everyone I know have a puppy dog look like that!' Kyoko sighed and smiled. "I do like it here. It's hard to get used to everyone speaking English all the time, and the customs are…strange. But, I really miss my best friend." She said quietly. "I mean, of course I miss acting very much! And all the people I met at LME, but…I didn't get to say anything to Moko-san."

"Moko?"

"Um…her name is Kanae. She's my first female friend!" She smiled widely as she thought about Kanae.

"Then why didn't you try to call her before she left? Surely she wouldn't have told anyone where you were going?"

"…I didn't want to think about it." Kyoko said softly. "I guess I just thought that if I didn't say goodbye…then I wouldn't have to leave. Isn't that stupid?"  
>"No. It's not stupid, Kyoko. You are always so hard on yourself. But…think about Kanae. Don't you think that, by not contacting her, you might have hurt her?" Kyoko nodded sadly.<p>

"Now she won't want to be my friend anymore." She whispered, and Julie's heart went out to the girl.

"Kyoko I want you to call her right now." She said softly. "The longer you wait, the worse it will be. I'm sure she will forgive you, but if you wait and put it off until you go back to Japan, I'm not sure she'll want to be your friend anymore." She left Kyoko to think about this while she went back to working.

* * *

><p>Back in her room, Kyoko looked at her new cell phone. Her father had left it in her room for her to find when she returned. It was a regular flip phone, as if he knew that she would be uncomfortable with a high tech new phone, but it was very nice. Taking a deep breath, she dialed her best friend's number.<p>

In her apartment, Kanae was berating herself. 'How could I do that! The poor man must think I'm nuts! And I'm sure he and Tsuruga will get a great laugh out of this.' She paused; remembering the awkward way the man had tried to comfort her. 'No. He doesn't seem like that kind of a jerk…and honestly Tsuruga isn't so horrible himself. But…ugh. How could I break down like that? I only…' She paused when she heard her phone ringing. It was 4 in the afternoon. Her day had been short. Directly after crying to glasses-kun, she had gone home. She was pretty much finished anyway, and she could always work harder tomorrow. Still, phone calls were rare for her, and she didn't recognize the number. She pressed the green button and pressed the phone to her ear. "Hello. This is Kotonami, Kanae."

"…Moko-san?"

"Oh…my…"

"Moko-san I'm so sorry." Kanae was too stunned to speak. She would never admit it, but inside a small voice was screaming, "She called me! She called me! She still cares about me!" "Moko-san I didn't have a choice! I swear! She made me! And…"  
>"Mo!" She softened her voice, wiping furiously at the tears in her eyes. "Just calm down. I'm glad you're okay. Now, slowly, explain what's going on, okay?"<p>

Kyoko smiled a watery smile in the isolation of her bedroom. "Okay, Moko-san."


	7. Names and Secrets

**A/N: Ugh. I just realized that I made a stupid mistake...in the conversation between Yashiro and Ren. So I went back and redid the whole thing. I'm sorry! I'm working on fixing all my errors! Please be patient. Also, please go back and read. I changed things A LOT in that conversation, so you should probably read it if you don't want to be confused. :)**

Chapter 7: Names and Secrets

The sunlight streaming through the curtains forced Kyoko's eyes open. For a moment, she felt panic run through her. 'I have to go to work! I have to get ready and go to filming at…oh.' Sighing, she closed her eyes and rolled over. Not only was it Saturday, she didn't have a job. She ran her fingers over the silky sheets and stared idly at the wall. Her room was beautiful. Her bathroom was huge. The view out of her window was stunning. Her mother and father were everything she had ever dreamed of and more. 'But I miss acting so much. I'm so happy that I can write to Corn…but I miss Tsuruga-san. I miss having him help me with acting, and cooking for him…I wonder if he is eating properly. Probably not. He should really take better care of himself. I think that we could have even become friends…not that he would ever want to be friends with me. But…' "Knock Knock."

Kyoko sat up and looked over at the door. "Come in." She called, and she smiled as her mother opened the door. "Good morning." She chirped.

"Good morning, Kyoko." Julie sat on the bed and frowned. "Are you feeling okay? It's almost eleven, and Kuu said that you were normally up by now."

"Oh. Yes. I'm fine. I just don't have any plans for today, and since this is the first day sine you came home that both you and Father are off of work, I though that you were going to spend the day together."  
>Julie smiled gently at the girl. "That's sweet of you, but trust me, Kuu and I have spent plenty of time together. We were together all night." A blush erupted on Kyoko's face, much to Julie's amusement. "I assume that you don't have a boyfriend then." She teased. Much to her surprise, Kyoko shut down.<p>

"No. I don't want a boyfriend. I'm not interested in falling in love with anyone." She spoke coldly in monotone. Stunned, Julie stared at the girl, speechless. Suddenly, it was like a switch was thrown. "So what were you plans for today?" Flowers seemed to bloom around the cheerful girl and Julie had to blink a few times to clear her vision.

'Were those…flowers? How did she do that! I could have sworn that there were flowers everywhere! Oh never mind.' "Well, I was going to go shopping and was wondering if you would like to come."

"Oh. Um…okay. What are you shopping for?"

"For you of course." She laughed and stood to go and let Kyoko change. "You only brought a few outfits and you are certainly going to need more than that."

'She was going to buy me clothes without me being there...never mind. Not the point!' "You can't buy me clothes! I'll buy them! I'll just find a job somewhere and…"

"Kyoko." Julie turned around and Kyoko nearly groaned. The puppy dog look was nearly as effective as Tsuruga-san's. "I thought that you thought of me as your mother. Is it so wrong to want to buy you clothes? Would you deny me the chance to spoil my child?"

"…no." She whispered, getting caught up in the act.

"Good." Julie smiled and flounced out of the room.

"What just happened?" She asked the now empty room.

Kyoko entered the kitchen to find Julie and Kuu eating breakfast. "Good morning sweetheart." Kuu smiled up at her and pulled her into a hug. Kissing her forehead, he released her and shoveled another spoonful of eggs into his mouth. Kyoko giggled.

"Good morning, Father. Mother." She sat down at the table when Julie placed a plate of food in front of her. "I could have made breakfast." She told them.

"Oh yes. Kuu tells me that you are a wonderful cook. Maybe you can make us a Japanese style breakfast tomorrow. I can help." Julie smiled brightly, missing Kuu's panicked look. He choked down his eggs and took her hand.

"I'm sure that Kyoko can handle it alone. We can just sleep in." He gave her a mischievous smile and Kyoko stared into her eggs, mortified. 'Are all Americans like this?'

* * *

><p>The first store nearly gave Kyoko a heart attack. With marble floors, a giant chandelier, and employees dressed like royalty, she refused to touch anything. The second was only a little better. Finally, after four failed shopping attempts, Julie turned to Kyoko. "I know that you aren't used to places like this, but trust me, it's fun! Now, the next place we go, I want you to try something on." She held up a hand when Kyoko tried to speak. "I make a lot of money Kyoko. I can afford to buy you a few things today. Now I want you to promise me that you will try something on. Okay?" Kyoko nodded mutely, and Julie dragged her into another store much like the first.<p>

An employee appeared from nowhere and Kyoko waited to be thrown out. Julie smiled at the woman. "Hello. I'm here to find some things for my daughter," She turned to gesture to the girl and found her frozen with her eyes closed tightly. She sighed. "My daughter, Kyoko. Can we see some of your pieces in her sizes?"

The woman gave a professional smile, ignoring the obviously terrified girl, and led them to a section of the store filled with smaller articles of clothing, from blouses and slacks to jeans and skirts. Julie began to browse, ignoring Kyoko, until finally something caught the girl's eye and she hesitantly approached the clothing. Taking a deep breath, she reached for the price tag.

"Kyoko Mogami, if you look at that price tag, I swear that I will buy you everything in this store. Do you understand me?" Kyoko jumped at the stern voice and nodded glumly. "Good girl. Now let me see what you are looking at." She pulled the soft pink sundress out and smiled. "Not bad. We'll add it to the pile of things to try on." Kyoko looked over and was shocked when she realized that Julie had been collecting clothing for her to try on. "Well, I think we have enough. Let's start." Without letting Kyoko protest, she grabbed the girl's arm and dragged her to the dressing room.

This was how they spent the day. Julie found herself more and more amazed at how good Kyoko could make even the simplest clothing. 'I have to get her into my agency…before Kuu does!' They went from store to store, Julie selecting the clothing and Kyoko, less and less reluctantly, trying things on. By mid afternoon, Kyoko was even pulling a few things off the rack to try herself. Julie would tell her which things looked the best, sometimes exchanging one piece for another, until she had the perfect outfit, which she would then purchase, never allowing Kyoko time to argue.

By 3 o'clock, both women were tired and hungry, so they stopped at a nice restaurant for some lunch. At first, Kyoko hesitated to enter, but Julie pulled the girl along and requested a table. After they had sat down and ordered their food, Julie focused on Kyoko. "There's something I want to talk to you about, Kyoko. Actually…a few things. But first, I want to know why you reacted that way this morning when I asked if you had a boyfriend."

At first, Kyoko stared at her plate, not wanting to answer. 'She'll think I'm stupid for being duped, just like Tsuruga-san. She'll think that I deserved what I got.' As if sensing the girl's thoughts, Julie reached over and took her hand. "When I was 17, I had a boyfriend." Kyoko jerked her head up. "He was my first." She said quietly. "My first boyfriend, my first crush, my first love…" She smiled at the dreamy expression on the girl's face. "My first everything." She emphasized the word, making Kyoko's eyes grow large and her cheeks turn red. "One day, I was going to surprise him at his house after work, and I found him in bed with another woman." Kyoko's eyes filled with tears and Julie wondered if the girl was acting it out in her mind. "I was heartbroken. I vowed that I would never love again." That snapped Kyoko out of her dream world. "Because I knew that it was my fault that he cheated on me. It was my fault because I wasn't good enough for him."

"That's not true!" Kyoko cried, nearly standing from her chair. Her voice carried throughout the restaurant. "It was his fault! He wasn't good enough for you!"

"I know that now." Julie said with a soft laugh while Kyoko sat down with an irritated frown, obviously wanting to meet the guy. "But it took the love of my second boyfriend to make me realize that. He loved me so much, and was so kind to me, that when I finally let him in and stopped shutting him out of my life for long enough to give him a chance, that there was nothing wrong with me. It was the guy's problem, not mine." Kyoko turned back to the tablecloth, not wanting to let her mind wander in that direction.

"I know what you are trying to say." Kyoko said quietly. "But my situation is totally different. The guy I loved, that I ran away from home with and who I grew up with, used me as a maid. He never cared about me, and even after I found out that he was messing around with his manager and left him, he continued to make my life miserable whenever he could. He hit me. Because of him I got a stupid Beagle stalking me! He stole my first kiss….though it wasn't really a kiss according to Tsuruga-san. Anyway, I never want to open myself up to that kind of pain again. I couldn't bear to find out that someone I loved didn't care about me…not again."

* * *

><p>Ren sat in the Akatoki front lobby, forcing himself not to scowl. Beside him, Yashiro was glancing around nervously. 'I don't understand why I have to be the one to do this.' Ren thought angrily. 'Why can't we find someone else to help us? And why did the President send me? He could have easily sent Sebastian.' At the front desk, a young woman called his name. Standing, he casually walked over to her, followed by Yashiro. "Fuwa-san can see you now. He's in room 258."<p>

"Thank you very much." Ren thanked her with a fake smile and strolled away, ignoring the fact that the woman had swooned and was currently being revived by the woman at the other desk. 'What is wrong with these women?' He asked himself in exasperation. 'I can't even smile at them.' When he came to the door, he rapped sharply and waited.

Once inside, he found Fuwa and his manager sitting on one of the sofas. The manager stood and offered her hand. "Good morning, Tsuruga-san. Yashiro-san. My name is Shoko Aki. I'm Fuwa-san's manager. It's very nice to meet you." She gave a small bow which Ren returned. After the managers shook hands, they all joined Sho, who had not stood.

"What do you want, Tsuruga?" Fuwa asked in a bored tone.

Forcing his smile to remain friendly, he held out an envelop to Sho. "What are you, a delivery boy?"

Ren's smile brightened. "I'm doing a favor for our President. Please take a look. It's rather urgent, and it involves Mogami-san." Sho's eyes widened and he pulled out the letter.

"What do you mean?" He snapped. "What's wrong with Kyoko?"

"She's gone."

* * *

><p>Once they had returned home, Kyoko went straight up to her room and Julie joined Kuu on the sofa. He put an arm around her and pulled her against him. "Judging from the number of bags Kyoko was carrying, I'm assuming you had a good time." He chucked, hearing the thud of a door closing upstairs and imaging Kyoko going through all her new clothes. He would have to make sure she took them with her when she went back to Japan…he grimaced. He didn't want to think about the girl leaving. He was getting used to her presence around the house.<p>

Julie smiled sadly and sighed. "Yes. She let me buy her a few things…"'

"What's wrong?" He pulled away and turned to look at his wife. "Did something happen?" Immediately worried, he scanned his wife and thought back to Kyoko's appearance. She had seemed okay. The girl had given him a hug and left them alone. 'Always so considerate…'

"What do you know about Kyoko's childhood friend?" Her voice brought him from his thoughts.

He cocked his head. "Are you talking about 'Corn'? That was Kuon." He said, confused.

"No. I mean the one that hurt her." She said softly.

"Someone hurt her!"

Julie nodded sadly and began to repeat everything that Kyoko had said. At the very end, she mentioned the part about the boy hitting her and then forcing a kiss on her. Kuu stood abruptly and grabbed his cell phone off the table, dialing Lory's number. 'I want to see what he knows about all this, and why he didn't do anything about it…'

* * *

><p>"Why aren't you upset by all this?" Ren looked sideways at Yashiro as they waited outside the President's office where the man was getting information from Fuwa. The musician had immediately agreed to come to LME, accompanied by his manager, to talk to the President after reading the letter, and for reasons unknown to Ren, the President kept insisting that he wait until the meetings were finished to go home. He considered leaving anyway.<p>

"What do you mean?" Ren asked carefully.

"I know that Kyoko is with..." here is lowered his voice, "Hizuri Kuu. But honestly Ren. She's so far away. Don't you miss her at all? I thought you were in love with her. And how can you know that she is safe with him?"

"I miss her very much." He admitted quietly. Of all the things he hated about keeping his identity a secret and living the life of the perfect man in a strange country, lying to the people he was closest to was the worst. 'It won't do any harm if I tell him something. He's like my older brother. I can trust him. Besides, he deserves to know something about all of this.' Ren leaned over, looking around to make sure that no one could hear. 'I can't believe I'm doing this...but I'm sick of lying to everyone. Yashiro will never tell anyone. "Yashiro, I know that Kyoko is perfectly safe with the Hizuri's because..." he glanced around and leaned in to whisper in his friend's ear. "they are my parents." At the stunned look on his face, Ren placed a finger in front of his lips.

'Ren has never mentioned his family...ever…not since I've known him. I thought they were dead and he didn't want to talk about it…but…why would Kyoko go to them? But…that look on his face…he doesn't want to talk about this. I won't ask now…maybe another time.' Yashiro managed to close his mouth and nodded, giving Ren a small smile.

"Then I can assume that she is safe?"

Ren gave him a small smile in return. "She's perfectly safe." 'And thank you for not asking. I'll explain everything later...but it's going to be hard.'

* * *

><p>When Kyoko got back to her room that evening, she found a letter. Carefully pulling the flap open, she retrieved the paper inside and began reading.<p>

"Dear Kyoko,

I am so sorry to hear about the situation with mother, but I hope that you are happy with my parents. They certainly think of you as their child, and I hope that this helps you in some way. Also, I do not blame you for refusing to marry someone you don't know. No one should have ever expected that of you, and I know that it must have been frightening for you. I'm sorry that you had to go through that. How did you mange to escape, if you don't mind me asking.

I do not think that it is silly that you want to call me Corn. I think that it is sweet. I hope that you are able to find something you love doing in America. Your written English is very good and if your spoken English is good as well, you shouldn't have any problems. Father mentioned that you speak very well after he first met you. I also hope that the President of your agency is able to work things out. I don't know very much about the laws in Japan, but surely there is a way for you to return. I know you must miss it. I'm sure you left someone special to you behind.

How was work with Mother? I know that she can be…overwhelming. But as you know, she is very kind. She will probably be able to find you a place in her company, since she is very powerful there. Father may also be able to help you. He told me about your acting and I managed to get copies of 'Box R' and 'Dark Moon.' You are a phenomenal actress. I read on the Internet that they haven't been able to find a new actress to play Natsu. You made the show in my opinion.

I am sorry that you had to leave without saying goodbye. Have you been able to contact your friend, Kanae? I'm sure that she misses you. What about your sempai, Ren? What is he like? Why did you call him your sempai rather than your friend? Is he kind to you? If he is your sempai, does he look out for you? Do you really miss him? Why don't you call him? I'm sure he would love to hear from you.

Sincerely,

Corn"

"Wow. He asked a lot of questions about Tsuruga-san. I wonder if he is interested in him…" Pushing the thought aside, she pulled out another piece of paper.

* * *

><p>Ren pulled the envelope from his bag. It had been two days since Fuwa's talk with the President, and he was getting anxious about all of this. "Will he be able to work all of this out?" Ren asked his empty apartment. 'I wish Kyoko was here.' It was something that he thought more and more as the days since he had last seen her grew more numerous. 'I wish that I could come home every day and see her.' He smiled softly at this, letting his imagination carry the thought. 'She would surely cook dinner every night, but if I could get home before her, I'll bet I could manage to surprise her. She would go over her scripts and talk to me about her day…she would sleep in my bed and I could hold her all night…I could be with her and touch her whenever I wanted.' He sat on the couch and let his head rest against the back. 'It will be so long before I can see her. And then will we have to start over? I feel like we were close to becoming friends. How can I get her to at least take that step?'<p>

In her room, Kyoko stared at her cell phone. She knew that it was 10 o'clock in Tokyo. She had gotten up extra early after convincing herself to follow Corn's advice, but she was having second thoughts. Today, Kuu was bringing her along to work to meet the President of his agency, and she had to admit that she had secret hopes of getting an audition and acting again.

Ren gently tore the top of the envelope and pulled the letter out.

"Dear Corn,

As for your question about escaping from my mother, I actually used acting. I can't believe that you watched Box R and Dark Moon just to see me! That is so embarrassing! These were my first real attempts at acting, and though I am proud of my characters, I can't believe that people consider me a good actress. Thank you though. Wasn't it hard to watch a television show in another language?

Anyway, on the night that the man I was supposed to marry visited me, I created a character and managed to fool him (and I believe my mother as well). After they left, I snuck out my window. It wasn't really hard, nor was buying a plane ticket to California, though I had to guess at where Father lived. Once I got here, I called him from a pay phone and asked him to get me. (I hope you don't think that was too presumptuous. I was so scared…and I didn't have another choice.) Honestly, I thought about staying with Kanae, but I knew that she wouldn't be able to pay for both of us to live in her home. I even thought about asking Tsuruga Ren for help…but I was afraid that it would get him in trouble. Besides, I bother him enough as it is.

Speaking of Tsuruga-san, if you are interested in him, he plays the male lead in Dark Moon. I must warn you, though; he is in love with a high school **girl** so I doubt you'll have any luck. However, I guess you shouldn't be afraid to try. He is very kind.

I have decided to follow your advice and call Tsuruga-san. I think that you are right. I should not have left without saying anything to him. It would be troublesome to him if he worried about me….not that I am saying that he cares enough for me to worry! I'm just saying that…well honestly I miss him. He has been very kind to me since I joined LME (after he stopped being cruel to me) and I would like to let him know that I am okay.

Thank you very much for the kind advice. I hope that one day I will get to meet you.

Sincerely,

Kyoko"

Ren stared at the letter, speechless. "If I am interested in him?" He asked his empty living room. 'I don't know if I should laugh or cry…she thinks that I am romantically interesting in…in Tsuruga Ren.' He dropped his head in his hands and laughed. Suddenly, his head shot up. "How does she know that I'm in love with a high school girl!"

His cell phone chimed from the end table, interrupting his brain's attempts to process this letter. Without thinking, he answered. "Hello?"

"Ts…Tsu…Tsuruga-san?" His mouth dropped open as the very nervous voice seemed to settle in his heart. "It's Mogami Kyoko. How are you."

"Kyoko?" He asked, unbelievingly. 'I knew that she was okay. I've been writing her…sort of….but to hear her voice...it feels so amazing.'

On the other end, the girl blushed brightly at his informal use of her name. "Yes. I'm very sorry that I haven't called but…"  
>"I'm so glad that you are okay." He spoke softly, and she could feel his gentle smile from across the ocean. "I went looking for you after I got your message."<p>

"I'm so sorry! I didn't think…"

"Don't apologize. I'm glad you called me. I would have worried a lot more if you hadn't." When she was silent, he racked his brain for something he could talk about while working to separate what he knew as 'Corn' and what he was supposed to know as Ren. 'I can't ask her about the high school girl thing!' "The President told me that you are staying with the Hizuris?"

"Yes. They were kind enough to let me stay with them."

"What do you think of America?" He made his tone light so she wouldn't know how much he truly missed her.

She laughed a little at the lightness and curiosity in his voice. "It's very strange." She said bluntly, making him laugh. "But so far it has been very nice. Hizuri-san bought me clothes and…"

"Kyoko, didn't Hizuri Kuu ask you to call him 'Father'?" He interrupted.

"Um…yes…but isn't it rude to do so without him here?" Ren laughed a little at her strange logic.

"No. It isn't." 'Besides, I like hearing you call Dad that. Hopefully one day he will be your father-in-law.'

"Well then, Mother took me shopping and Father has been teaching me about America He promised to show me around as soon as he gets a day off and Mother doesn't insist on taking me shopping." They both laughed.

"The President is working on the legal issues with your mother." Ren assured her suddenly. "He wants to get you back here as soon as possible."

"Oh. I must be inconveniencing everyone!" She cried suddenly. "Especially the Box R crew! Did they find a new Natsu?"

"Kyoko, it's not your fault. And it's not that you are inconveniencing them. They miss you. No, they haven't found a new Natsu. They are still looking, but I doubt they will find anyone as good as you." He could almost see her blushing face and smiled at his ceiling. "I miss you." He told her simply.

He expected her to mumble something about being an unworthy Kohai, but instead his heart nearly gave up on him when she said in such a gentle voice, "I miss you too." Immediately, she seemed to be flustered. "Well, you should probably be going to bed. It's late there, isn't it!"

He chuckled. "Yes, a bit. But it's also rather early for you to be up. Try and get some more sleep. Will you call back later?"

"Um…okay. I'll talk to you later. Good night, Tsuruga-san."

"Good night, Kyoko."

'Why am I blushing? Why does it make my heart race when he calls me by my first name….and why does it make my heart hurt when I think about him being so far away? Maybe I should call Moko-san.'

**A/N: Wow…long chapter. It just kept going! But I'm happy with it. As for the letters, honestly the idea of Ren trying to get Kyoko to write to Corn about himself, and then Kyoko believing that Kuon was interested in Ren, was far too fun to pass up. Hope you liked it. **


	8. Personas

**A/N: Ahhh! I keep saying I won't update, and then I get an idea and I just have to type it up and then I swear that I will get some work done and...it's a vicious cycle! I hope you guys enjoy the chapter. **

Chapter 8: Personas

Kyoko opened her eyes, startled by a hand on her shoulder. "Kyoko? Are you getting up?" The voice was amused. She looked up and met her father's eyes.

Kuu took one look at Kyoko's position on the bed and the phone clutched in her right hand and realized that she had been up for a while. 'She must have fallen asleep after making a phone call. "Good morning father. Sorry. I didn't mean to fall asleep. Are you going to work?"

"Yes, and I was wondering if you wanted to go."

"To work with you?"

"Yes. I thought I might introduce you to the President of my agency today. I know Julie was going to try and get you a position in her company, but I figured you might want to try acting instead. I know that you have more experience with acting, and you seem to enjoy it."

"I…I can't act in America! My English isn't good enough. And I don't know how…" She trailed off, looking down sheepishly.

"Kyoko, it won't be that much different from what you are used to. You won't loose anything by trying." Kyoko still didn't move. "Aren't you an actress." She jumped at his tone. It was suddenly challenging. "I thought that you would never give up, no matter how tough the challenge." He hid a smirk at the determined expression growing on her face. "I guess I was wrong." He shrugged and started to leave.

"No." He turned and smiled triumphantly at her fierce expression. She gave him a challenging smile. "I'll do it."

"That's my girl."

The agency was similar to LME, if only a little fancier, which Kyoko was loathe to admit. 'I'm sure the President isn't as good as ours…I mean as LME's.' She frowned as she realized that she was no longer a part of that agency. Kuu led her through the lobby, pointing out a few places along the way, and guided her into the elevator. They were alone as they ascended to the top floor, and he could sense her nervousness. He placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently. "It's okay. You aren't auditioning for anything. I'm just introducing you to my boss." Kyoko nodded and leaned against him for a second, then stood straight as they reached their floor.

Kyoko had to admit that she was surprised. She had expected lavish décor and several assistants in strange clothing. Instead, his office was normal, with a modern black sofa and two white chairs in matching style being the only decoration to be found. A relatively short, thin man sat behind an average looking desk. Kyoko fought to keep the disappointment off of her face as she stood, somewhat shyly, behind her father. Kuu stepped forward and the man stood and met him halfway, shaking his hand. "Hello Kuu. How are you doing?"

"I'm doing well, Mr. Davidson. This is my daughter from Japan that I told you about. Kyoko." He stepped sideways, an amused expression on his face as he gently ushered the girl forward. "This is Mr. Jim Davidson. Mr. Davidson, my daughter, Kyoko."

"Nice to meet you, Kyoko." He shook the girls hand firmly, but spoke slowly and enunciated each syllable, as if the girl was unable to understand. Mildly irritated but not wanting to offend, Kyoko offered a professional smile.

"It's very nice to meet you as well, Mr. Davidson." She said in slightly accented English. Kuu had to admit that he could tell that she was from Japan, but he could also tell that she was improving.

"So what brings you all the way to America." Kyoko suppressed a groan. 'Is he going to talk like this throughout the entire conversation?'

Kuu gave a small smile and stepped a little closer. "I missed my daughter and invited her to stay with me for a little while." He said simply, the look on his face pleasant but firm. Kyoko mirrored his expression.

"Ahh. Well I can't blame you. So Kyoko, what do you think of America so far?" He asked indulgently. She fought the urge to inform him of his rudeness and borrowed Ren's gentlemanly smile.

"I haven't been able to see very much of it, but, although it is very different from Japan, I am enjoying myself."

"Yes, I would think that America is much different than you are used to."

Kuu cut in with another professional smile. "Actually, there was something I wanted to talk to you about. You see, Kyoko is an actress. Since she will be staying with me for a while, I was wondering if I could get her an audition for the company."

"An audition? Kuu, are you sure about this?" Kyoko felt her father stiffen and immediately her grudges began to pop out. "I mean, I can understand that she is probably popular in Japan, but this is a different industry all together."

Kuu took a deep breath and was about to speak when Kyoko stepped forward. 'Okay, Natsu, Mio, I need you. Just a little bit…just the self confidence and a little arrogance. Well, Natsu, more of you than Mio.' "Mr. Davidson, I would like to audition for your company." The President and Kuu both turned in surprise. The shy girl from a few seconds ago seemed to have vanished. Now there was a confident, if slightly irritated, woman radiating self-confidence and arrogance. "If that cannot be arranged, I will gladly find another agency. I am an actress; a professional, and it doesn't matter what country I am from, I do my job and I do it well. So, may I or may I not have an audition?" Her eyes narrowed and she gave a small smirk.

Taken aback, the President nodded. "Um…yes. Yes you may. Please make an appointment at the front desk…" Seeing her lips turn down, he hurried on. "It's procedure, and you will probably be able to audition in a few days. We'll send you more information as soon as possible." She grinned when she realized that he was no longer speaking to her as if she were a child. 'This is more like it.' Natsu thought happily as she watched them man hurry to appease her.

"Thank you very much. Of course, it wouldn't do if it seemed like you were discriminating against me because of my race…that would be very bad for your image." Natsu grinned, knowing the full weight of that threat and enjoying the man's squirming.

Kuu hid a grin. 'This must be Natsu.'

As they left the President's office, Natsu disappeared leaving only a still irritated Kyoko. "I'm sorry." Kuu said softly.

"For what?" That wasn't your fault."

"No. But he was rude to you. He insinuated that you weren't a real actress and he treated you like you were stupid. He's normally a nice man."

"I like President Lory better." She mumbled and he laughed.

"So do I. Sometimes I wish that I was still a part of LME."

"Really? Why don't you move back to Japan then?" She wondered.

"Because America is where Julie wants to live." He said simply. "I would happily live anywhere, as long as she was there."

Kuu treated Kyoko to lunch, but then had to head to a studio where he had and interview and some paperwork to fill out. Afterwards, he had filming until that evening. When given the choice, Kyoko decided to wait in his office for him to complete the interview and then join him for the rest of his filming. He showed her to his office, encouraged her to explore all she wanted but to stay in the building, and told her that he would pick her up at about 3. Left alone, Kyoko shut the door to the office and sat on the sofa, pulling out her phone. 'It's 12 now…so…' She did some quick math in her head. 'It should be around 5AM in Japan…too early for me to call anyone. Standing, she decided to explore for a while, if only to find a vending machine for some water. 'It will give me a chance to stretch my legs and learn my way around.

* * *

><p>Ren stared at his clock. 5 AM. 'What am I doing up so early?' He rolled over in bed, knowing that he had another hour, but also realizing that he wouldn't be getting any more sleep. 'I can't call her. She's probably busy….I wonder if she is with Mom or Dad? Will she get to act in America? I hope so. I would hate it if she had nothing to do for the next few months. She loves acting, and would be miserable without a job for so long.' His mind wondered to the directors and actors he had met in America. 'Her English really is good, but I wonder if she would have trouble reading the scripts and speaking…I know how mean people can be in the acting business…how mean they can be anywhere. I swear, if anyone is cruel to her like they were to me…I'll protect her.' He closed his eyes. 'No matter what the cost.' Taking a deep breath, he stared at his ceiling. 'No matter what the cost? Would I really give up everything for this girl?' He pictured her face, remembered what it was like to hear her voice, feel her touch. 'Yes. I would gladly give up everything for her. But I need to think this through…'<p>

* * *

><p>Sho made his way down the LME corridor toward the President's office. The man had called him and asked him to tell him some more about Kyoko's family. He yawned and looked at his watch. 'Why do I have to come in at 5 in the morning! Why does this man insist on getting up so early?' He knocked on the door and was greeted by a man in a turban. Startled, he stepped back. "President Lory will see you now." The man said in monotone, then turned and led the confused musician into the room, which was somehow turned into a desert. 'Wait a minute, I was just in here yesterday and it was a normal office…how is it so hot now? And…is that sand! Holy crap, there's a foot of sand on the ground. Where is that wind coming from!' He found that he had stopped in front of a man sitting cross legged on the floor. He was seated on a silk cushion and seemed to be waiting for Sho to join him. He was dressed in an elaborate silk turban and Sho could only see his eyes and the bridge of his nose. Sho bit back a scream when a camel suddenly approached from the back.<p>

"Ah Jethro. So good of you to join us." The President said in a happy voice. About to correct him and question his sanity, Sho realized that the man was looking at the camel. "Say hello to our guest, Fuwa-san." The camel walked over to where Sho was now sitting and began to chew on his hair. The President looked at Sho expectantly.

"Um…hello…Jethro." Sho gave the animal a hesitant pat on the neck.

"Now, stop playing with Jethro and let's get down to business." The President pulled the fabric off of his face and pulled out a recording device. "Fuwa-san, you told me that Kyoko's mother abandoned her when she was young, probably about 6 or 7. What else can you tell me?"

Sho sighed and racked his brain. "I was little too, so I don't remember much. I just remember her mother bringing her over more and more when we were kids. Kyoko started learning about working in the inn. My mother started training her as an Okami. Then, when Kyoko was 6 or 7, her mother brought her over, with all of her stuff, and didn't come back. Kyoko cried a lot for a while, but she was always hanging around me. She went to elementary and middle school with me. Then when she about 15, she came with me to Tokyo. We just bought train tickets and came here. A year or so later, she left and started living wherever she lived when she was working with you, and you know the rest."

"Do you know anything about her father?"

Sho thought back. There had always been a mystery surrounding Kyoko's father. Sho had never met the man, or even hear his name spoken, but it was an unspoken rule that he was never mentioned. "No. No one ever talked about him. Ever. I don't even know his name. He could be dead for all I know. How is that relevant?"

"Well, on one hand, if he didn't know that he had a daughter, or if he just didn't care to help her out, he could sue for custody and if Kyoko testified against her mother, he might win and allow her to come back to Japan and work at LME. However, he may not be interested in her at all. I would rather know before telling Kyoko about this. She's been rejected enough…I don't want her getting hurt again." A door was closed behind them and they both turned to see an older man in a suit.

"Hello Lory. Jethro. Lory, you're recycling your themes. Must be old age setting in." The men laughed and Sho longed for the relative sanity of his own agency. Looking at his watch, he realized that no even an hour had passed.

"Fuwa-san, this is Saki-san, my lawyer…or one of them anyway. Saki-san, Fuwa Sho." Sho shook the man's hand and they all sat back down.

"No, Lory, have you got anything?"

"Her mother abandoned her when she was about 6. She disappeared after that, until Kyoko was 17, when she forced the girl to go with her because she was underage. I don't know why, although I'm looking into it. I'm pretty sure that Ren knows, but he won't say. Neither will the person that she is currently residing with, although I'm certain he knows."

"Well, the only thing we have right now is abandonment. Same as yesterday. This information doesn't really help." Lory sighed.

"Okay. Get your people looking for her biological father. See if he is interested in helping. If not, pay him not to talk, destroy all evidence, and never speak of it again. Try to do some more research on Saena Mogami. What type of business is she involved in? Is it legitimate? Why did she want her daughter back? Is there any history of abuse?" He turned to Sho, who shook his head.

"Not that I know of."

"Look into it anyway. Try to find everything you can on this woman." Lory continued to give orders until there was another knock on the door.

"Hello Jethro. President."

"Good morning Jethro. President." Turning, Sho found Ren's manager, Yashiro-san, petting the camel and Ren shaking the President's hand. Both ignored Sho.

"She was going to force her to marry." Ren said bluntly, and immediately the lawyer grabbed his phone and began making calls. At the President's surprised expression, Ren sighed. "I didn't want to violate her trust, but if it can help get her back, then I'm sure she wouldn't mind if you knew."

"How do you know?"

"She told Corn." Sho stared at the two, growing more and more confused by the second. 'Corn? The vegetable?'

"Get the guy's name, Ren. Get his business name and whatever other information you can get. Try and get information about her mother, too. As Corn or whoever, I don't care."

* * *

><p>Kyoko wandered through a quiet hall in the back of the building. It seemed like this part was separate from the rest. Peering through a window in the door, she found a group of girls doing ballet. Looking in through another, she saw a man and a woman reading scripts in front of a large group of people. She passed a few more doors and peeked in through another. "Hello again Kyoko." She jumped and gave a startled scream. Whirling around, she found herself face to face with the boy from the airport. "You seem to show up wherever I go. Are you stalking me?"<p>

"No!" She cried adamantly. "I'm here with my father. I had no idea that you would be here Will-san."

"Will. Just Will. I don't even know what 'san' means." He said dryly. "And I was kidding."

"Oh. What are you doing here?"

"I just joined the agency's acting school." He shrugged. "That's why I moved here honestly. What about you? Are you trying to get in the school?"

"Um….no. I'm trying to join the agency as an actress."

"An actress?" He gave her a dubious smile. "Have you ever acted before.

Irritated, she glared at him. "I am a professional actress." She said coldly. Surprised at the drop in temperature, he held his hands up.

"Okay, okay. Sorry. What have you acted it?"

"Um…I've just done some acting in Japan." She said quietly. "Nothing here." "Oh. Well if your father is Kuu Hizuri, I'm sure you'll be fine." He laughed a little. "Want me to show you around the school?"

"Sure. I just need to be back in Father's office by about 2:30." She followed him down the hall as he began to point out the rooms.

"I'm not in class today. I just wanted to practice."

"What do you do?"

"I'm a musician. I'm in a band."

"Oh." She said politely, mentally destroying any thoughts of musicians.

"I play lead guitar." He ventured.

"That's nice." She said simply.

"Well anyway, these are mostly practice rooms and small classrooms. There is a theater in the back. Most of the ballet classes are down that hall." He pointed. "With the other dance classes. Can you do ballet?"

"I learned a little."

"Cool. I took a few classes and I wanted to get into some here." She giggled at the thought of him in a ballet class. "What! Guys can take dance too!" He cried, a little insulted and embarrassed.

"Of course they can." She granted. "It just seems funny, thinking of you dancing ballet."

"Hmph. Well there's the formal acting classes." He went on, much to Kyoko's amusement. "Have you ever…" He stopped when she began to vibrate violently. Shocked, he reached out to touch her when she pulled out her cell phone.

"Hello?"

"Good afternoon, Kyoko-chan." Will's eyes widened as she smiled a soft, sweet smile and little flowers bloomed around her. 'Wait…flowers?'

Good morning Tsuruga-san." She said sweetly.

On the other line, Ren gave a sweet smile of his own. He was currently in his office after meeting with the President. "Are you busy?"

"No. Father went to do some interviews after the meeting with his President and I have been looking around the agency." She absentmindedly turned away from Will, who took the hint and wandered off. "He's going to pick me up later and take me with him for filming."

"Oh. How did the meeting go?" He noticed her hesitation but waited for her to reply.

"I am going to audition for the company." She said cheerfully. He smiled and offered his congratulations.

"I'm sure you'll get in. But you didn't answer me."

"It was okay. The president seems…nice."

"Are you lying to me?"

Kyoko found that she had made her way back to her father's office and pulled the door shut. "He was actually extremely rude." She said quietly. "He spoke to me like I was stupid, and then he acted like I wasn't a good enough actress to audition just because I am from Japan."

Ren clenched his fists and his jaw. 'Don't say anything that you will regret.' He told himself firmly. 'It won't help her if you get angry.' "I'm sorry to hear that. It's probably something that you will face from time to time in America." He told her simply. He stopped for a second. "Are you okay? How did you deal with it?"

He heard her smirk a little. "Natsu had a chat with him." He chucked at this.

"Good. I'm sure that Natsu can handle pretty much any situation that you get in to. What kind of audition is it?"

"I don't know yet. Tsuruga-san…what if I don't make it?" She whispered.

"Then you try another agency." He said firmly. "I've seen your acting, Kyoko-chan. You're good. Very good. Especially when you get into character. You'll be fine."

Kyoko smiled at the wall. 'He believes in me.' "Kyoko?"

"Hmm. Yes?"

"There's something I need to talk to you about."

"Um….okay."

"But I don't really have time now. I have a break from 3-5 tonight. That will be from 10-12 for you. Can I call you then?"

"Sure." She was a little confused, but assumed that he would explain later. "I'll talk to you then. Have a good day Tsuruga-san."

"You too, Kyoko-chan."

'Why does he keep calling me by my first name…it's so much more embarrassing when he does it. Do I have time to call Moko-san? Maybe she can explain.'

* * *

><p>Kyoko sat in the passenger seat of Kuu's car, mind at work. She hadn't tried calling Kanae. It was only 8AM…she would wait until that evening to call her best friend. In the mean time, she would watch her father perform and try to figure out what she was going to do.<p>

It was obvious to Kyoko that her personality wasn't going to work very well in the professional world of acting in this agency. A shy Japanese school girl was not going to cut it. 'But what can I do? Surely I can't be a different person all the time.' Suddenly she remembered the time when Tsuruga-san had rescued her from the Beagle. 'Tsuruga-Ren is a stage name. But more than that…Tsuruga-san seems to be a character. It's like…whoever he is…chose a perfect gentleman as his character and acts him all the time. It's his public persona. Could I do that?' She clenched her hands in her lap. 'Tsuruga-san is such a better actor than me, but he did say that I was good. Am I good enough to create a new person from scratch and act that person whenever I am working?' She smiled a little. "Yes. That's what I'm going to do. Thank you Tsuruga-san. Even when you aren't here, you are helping me.'

The filming was under way, but Kyoko wasn't only watching her father. She watched the women especially, trying to see how they acted. Despite her observations, she found herself always going back to Ren's persona. 'She will be a perfect lady, always polite and professional, never rude or impatient. She never gets angry.' Kyoko smiled as she remembered Ren's gentlemanly smile. 'It seems that he's broken character once or twice.' She thought about the occasions when he would become angry and his eyes would grow cold and sharp. 'She is always on time. Always grasps her character.' Then Kyoko smiled a small, arrogant smirk, allowing Natsu to slip out. 'And she can make anyone act the way she wants them to. She can even make people fall in love with her.'

**A/N: Quick, mostly filler, but necessary chapter. What do you guys think so far? Is the pacing okay? It seems a bit slow to me…but I'm not sure. I plan on speeding it up soon. Do you think everyone was (mostly) in character? I hope so. Thank you for reading. **

**A/N2: I swear I am going back through the chapters I have put up soon to fix all errors (that I can find) I have just been so busy and want to get the story typed up as I think of the chapters. I'm so sorry for any errors! Please bear with me…**


	9. Special

Chapter 9: Special

The phone vibrated in Kyoko's pocket, bringing her out of her character building. Looking at the phone, she smiled. Little red hearts covered the screen over the words 'Kanae.' "Moko-san!" She cried, startling a few nearby crew members and making Kuu glance over with a smile. She smiled brightly as her best friend said hello, causing one of the afore mentioned crew members to drop the camera. Jumping up in surprise, Kyoko pulled back her legs to avoid the shattering glass. The director stormed over to the crew member and started yelling as Kyoko stood and hurried to her father's dressing room.

"Mo. What was that?" The woman demanded from the other end of the line.

"One of the crew dropped something. How are you?"

On the other line, Kanae smirked. "I'm fine. What are you doing on a set?"

"I'm at Father's set. It's a project that they are finishing up soon, and the director doesn't mind if I watch."

"Ahh. So how is it different from home?"

For the next few minutes, the girls discussed the differences between the sets of Dark Moon, Box R, and this one. Finally, Kyoko sighed. "Moko, can I ask you something." Kanae froze. Her friend was suddenly very serious.

"What is it?"

"What do you think of Tsuruga-san?"

Frowning at the unexpectedness of the question, Kanae, hesitated. "I think he's a really good actor." She answered warily. 'Don't tell me that my dense friends picks **now** to figure out how that totally conspicuous man feels about her.' "He seems nice enough, though I haven't spoken to him nearly as often as you have." 'Actually, I don't remember ever speaking to him.'

"Is that bad?"

"Is what bad?" Kanae asked, exasperated.

"That I talk to him a lot." Her voice was small.

"Mo Kyoko. If you have something you want to talk about, spit it out. I'm not going to answer all of your cryptic questions. Why would that be bad?"

"Because! Because he's…he's….Tsuruga-san."

Kanae contemplated beating her head against the wall. "Yes." She said with forced patience. "He is Tsuruga-san. You are Mogami-san. I am Kotonami-san. Now that we've established everyone's names, can you tell me why it would be bad that you talk to him a lot?"

"Because he's…"

"If you use the words 'The' 'Tsuruga' 'Ren' or 'sempai', I swear I'm hanging up."

"Moko-san!" She wined. "You're being mean! You know why it would be bad!"

"Kyoko!"

"!" Kanae blinked and tried to separate the words in her mind.

"Do I think that it would be horrible if you liked him and considered him a friend?" Kanae confirmed.

Kyoko nodded, then realized that her best friend was in another country. "Yes."

"Of course that's not horrible. That's what normal people do, Kyoko. They get closer to people that they spend time with and become friends. Why would it be bad if it were him?"

"Because…because he is so far above me that…"

"Kyoko for goodness sake, he's not a god! He's an actor, a very good one, I must admit, but he's just a man."

Kyoko's cheeks caught fire as she remembered the shower incident. "He is most certainly a man." She mumbled.

Kanae's jaw dropped in shock. 'What is that supposed to mean?' "I'm not even going to ask why you said that. Anyway, why are you asking this?"

"Because, when I called him, he kept calling me Kyoko." She said, mortified.

"So? It's your name."

"SO! It's my **first** name!"

"Friends tend to call one another by their first names. It just means that you are close. Heck, doesn't everyone call everyone else in America by their first names? Why are you freaking out about that?"

"I'm not American!" She cried. "And it's embarrassing!"

"Then ask him to stop." Kyoko froze at that. 'Ask him to stop? ' "Just say, 'Tsuruga-san, I would feel more comfortable if you didn't call me so informally.' He's a polite man. He won't call you something that you are uncomfortable with."

"But…that would be like saying that I don't want to be close to him." She said softly.

'Goodness. This girl…' "Kyoko, I don't understand. Do you want to be close to the guy or not?"

"Um…yes." She whispered, terrified of what she was saying, but the thought of telling him to back off made her heart ache.

Kanae sighed. 'She's starting to get it. Slowly but surely…' "Okay, but it makes you uncomfortable when he calls you by your first name?"

"Not…not in a bad way. It…he makes…when he says my name, it…" She took a deep breath and collected herself. "It makes my heart beat faster and I feel like it is hard to breath." Kanae was silent. "Is that bad?"

'She's even farther along than I had thought.' "No." She managed. "Not bad. But…Mo Kyoko." The girl leaned back against the chair she was sitting on. "Haven't you ever felt like this before?" She prompted.

"Well…one time when Tsuruga-san was sick and I was taking care of him, he called me Kyoko and I felt the same way."

'Even then!' "No. I mean when someone else said your name."

Kyoko thought back. Sho had always called her by her first name, but it had never caused her to react in that way. Sometimes the Bridge Rock guys would do the same, but it never bothered her. "No."

"Then maybe…maybe Tsuruga-san is someone special to you."

* * *

><p>Ren held the phone to his ear. He had already called her once with no reply, and he was once again sent to voicemail. 'Why won't she answer me? Is she mad? Hurt? Did she loose her phone?'<p>

Kyoko stared at the ringing phone. 'Someone special! What does that mean? A special friend? A special…man? No! No no no! I won't let it happen. He's my friend. Maybe. But that's all. I won't let it go any farter.' She looked at the phone again. It was ringing for the third time. 'I can't just ignore him. I would lose him for sure.' Taking a deep breath to ready herself, she picked up the phone. "Hello?"

Smiling in relief, Ren shifted and move the phone closer to his ear. "Hello Kyoko."

"Hello." She said, trying not to let her uncertainty show in her voice. "How are you Mr. Tsuruga?"

In Tokyo, Ren smiled. "You're English is improving. Have you decided to practice on me?" He laughed a little at her embarrassed silence.

Kyoko laughed a little in return, marveling at his perfect English. "Um…yes. Sorry. But your English is great."

Ren laughed a little. "Thank you." 'It certainly ought to be.'

Kyoko looked at the clock. It was 10:45. "Tsuruga-san…you sounded very serious on the phone earlier." She switched back to Japanese, not sure enough about her English to discuss whatever he was so concerned about. "Is there something you need?"

"Actually, yes. You see, the President has been meeting with a lawyer and several other people to see if he can sue your mother for abandonment." He hesitated. 'Will she be angry? Will she tell us to stop? Will she be hurt?' When she didn't make any response, he continued. "The President was trying to get information about your relationship with your mother and about her business. Also, can you tell me about the man she wanted you to marry?" She was silent. "I'm sorry. If you don't…"

"No." Her voice was quiet. "I just…I can't believe that he is doing this. That any of you are doing this." His heart broke as her voice did. "You shouldn't be….you should be concentrating on your work…on yourselves! "

"Kyoko." He interrupted her softly. "Why is it so hard for you to accept the fact that people care about you?"

"Because they never have."

Ren clenched his jaw and concentrated on keeping tears from forming in his eyes. 'This poor girl. How could someone hurt her like this?' "They do now."

Kyoko could hear the pain in his voice and it surprised her, but it also made her heart warm. 'A special man?' "I'll tell you." She said softly. "I'll tell you whatever you need me to."

Ren wiped his eyes quickly and pulled out a piece of paper. "Okay. Tell me everything you know about your mother's business."

Kyoko sighed and searched her mind. "She never told me what type of business she is involved in. She was going to marry me to a man named Hayashi- Sachio. He was going into business with his father, Hayashi-san. His father was going to make some kind of big deal with my mother, but he only wanted to do business with family, or so my mother said. So my mother promised that she would give me to his son." Ren crumpled the paper in his hand; anger flooding his veins, then smoothed it out and resumed taking notes.

'That woman acts like Kyoko is some sort of object that she can just sell when it suits her.' "Okay. So you don't know exactly what she does. I'll give President Lory the guy's name and see what he comes up with."

"If my mother is involved in something that is…less than legitimate, will that mean anything for me?"

"If President Lory can prove that she is involved in something illegal, then yes."

"If she finds me, can she make me marry Hayashi-san?" Her voice was fearful.

"I will personally make sure that that doesn't happen." Kyoko smiled in relief. She could certainly trust Ren to protect her. He had already proven that. 'He is very special to me.'

"Did your mother ever hurt you?" She stiffened.

"I can't…" Ren wanted nothing more than to hold her. The fear and the hesitation in her voice was too much for him.

"I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have brought that up. You don't have to tell me anything."

"She use to hit me when I was little." Kyoko closed her eyes and clenched her fists. 'I can trust Ren. He won't blame me. He is special.' "She would hit me and lock me in my room all day. She told me that I was useless, and that she wished that I had never been born. She said that I was the worse thing that had ever happened to her. That was worse than when she hit me." She heard a sniff on the other end and nearly fell over in shock. 'He's crying…for me? He's crying because she hurt me. He doesn't blame me for this. He'll stand up for me. I've never had anyone care about me like this…and now I have him, and Kanae. I have Mother and Father. Even President Lory. Surely, with all of these people, I can stand up to my mother.' "Tell the President. Tell him what she did to me. If it can help get me back to Japan, tell him."

"We're going to get you back here, one way or another." He said firmly.

Talk turned to lighter matters for a while, as Kyoko demanded to know about his eating habits. He laughed and assured her that he had been eating well enough.

"Tsuruga-san, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course." He assured her with a smile.

Kyoko tried to figure out how to ask him. "You are a different person than you act." She started. "You act…like a perfect gentleman when you are in public." She stopped when he chuckled.

"I have a public persona, if that is what you are trying to say. Many celebrities do so that they can project a certain image."

"How do you do that?"

"Create a public persona?"

"Yes."

"May I ask why you would need to?"

She took a deep breath. "I used Natsu when the President was rude. But…I need to project a different image than I normally do if I'm going to be taken seriously as an actress here." She told him firmly.

"Hmm. I agree. Nothing is wrong with your image, but a more…mature persona might help you."

"That's why I wanted to ask for your help. My persona that I want to create…it's mostly based off of you."

* * *

><p>Julie was more than happy to help. The first stop the next morning: the salon. "Blonde?" That had been Julie's first choice, but Kyoko wasn't sure about the idea. In the end, they settled with dark reddish brown. Her hair had grown out a little, and they parted it in the middle and straightened it, almost reminiscent of Natsu. Next, Julie secured a selection of colored contacts for her. Although Kyoko liked the blue, Julie insisted that the bright green looked the best. Kyoko used her debit card for the first time to buy a silver chain and some wire. A few hours spent consulting with Julie in her workroom resulted in a new cage for Princess Rosa, which immediately became a part of Kyoko's look.<p>

"You look beautiful." Julie smiled at her daughter, who returned it along with a hug. "Now you're going to need more clothes."

This time, Kyoko enjoyed the shopping trip. They scoured the shops for clothes, purchasing mostly slacks and nice blouses that emphasized Kyoko's slim figure and long legs. A few dresses and skirts later and the two women were eating ice cream triumphantly. Julie was happy to see Kyoko glancing over at her new clothes in excitement. 'I think we're getting through to her.'

* * *

><p>Mr. Davidson, along with the head of the acting school and two of the heads of the acting department, and one of his assistants, sat in the room, looking over Kuu Hizuri's daughter's forms. "So she's Kuu's daughter?" His assistant asked.<p>

"Apparently, although he wouldn't give us any of her legal documents. She may be adopted. How old is she?" The head of the acting school wondered.

"17. She's from Japan, but she said on her form that she speaks English. What do you think Mr. Davidson? You've met her."

"Hmm. I wasn't particularly impressed with her…" He fell silent when she appeared. The little red headed Japanese girl was gone. The woman standing before him took his breath away. Large, sparkling green eyes met his. Her dark auburn hair nearly reached her shoulders. The outfit was nice, professional and conservative, a safe choice of a loose blouse and slacks, but it was her attitude that made him look twice. Her posture was perfect and she radiated self confidence.

"Um…good morning. Please, introduce yourself and tell us why you are here." The President stammered a little.

"Good morning." She stood a little straighter and rested a hand lightly on her hip. "My name is Kyoko. I recently moved here from my native Japan where I am an actress." She didn't name her previous agency on her form, nor did she mention anything about her family background other than Kuu and Julie Hizuri's names. "I am here to audition to become a member of this agency."

"Very well. Why did you choose this agency."

Kyoko's tilted her head to the side with a soft smile. "My father recommended me to this agency." She said simply.

"How much acting experience do you have and why is it not listed on your form?" One of the heads of the acting department wanted to know. He was a tall, stern looking older man. Kyoko turned her soft, distant smile to him.

"I have acted in two dramas, one commercial, and was a part of two other projects when I left Japan. I had to leave because of a family issue that you are welcome to speak to my father about." She said simply. The men nodded, knowing better than to pry at the moment. One of them made a note on her application.

"Okay Miss Kyoko. Then let's the real audition begin."

* * *

><p>Kuu sat in the living room next to his wife, Julie. The television was on, but neither was watching. Julie nervously played with Kuu's shirt. Kuu drummed his fingers on the back of the couch. Kyoko had been gone all day. She had insisted that they not come to her audition, and he had sent Jack to pick her up at the agency a little while ago. She would be informed of their decision before she came home.<p>

"Do you think she'll be crushed if she doesn't make it?" Julie blurted anxiously.

"She'll make it."

"But if she doesn't…"

"She'll make it."

"Should we search for some more agencies in the area?"

"She'll make it."

"How can you be so sure!"

"I've seen her act."

* * *

><p>Kyoko sat in the limo, fingering the jewel at her throat, remembering the audition.<p>

"Okay, Miss Kyoko. Thank you. We'll inform you of our decision in two hours. Please return to this room."

She had resisted the urge to bow and simply shook their hands. "Thank you." She had been calm. Professional. Partly because of the barely suppressed excitement and awe in their eyes. 'I made it.'

Then the two hours had seemed to fly by. She had ordered food in a café, sipped a bottle of water and called Tsuruga-san, disregarding the hour.

Detail by detail, she had broken it down for him. Every experience she had called upon, every character they had requested her portray. Every slip of her accent. "I can't make you any promises, but I'm pretty sure you got it." She had smiled then, let her character slip away for a second. There was pride in his voice.

Then the call to Kanae with the same results. "I'm so proud of you! You have to send me a picture of your new character."

Then the announcement. "Congratulations Miss Kyoko, and welcome to our agency." Details to be discussed at a later date. Forms to fill out. "In light of the circumstances," He had spoken to her father. She smiled. 'Father always works things out.' "We would like to sign a short term contract. Six months." She took a copy to look over with her Father. "One last thing." They were sitting at a table, looking over her last form. "Your father informed us that you didn't wish for your name to be used in the public. Would you like to go over some ideas for a stage name?"

She smiled. Fingered the jewel at her throat. He was taken aback by the gentle, almost loving look in her eye. "Rosa."

**A/N: Thoughts? I'm really enjoying writing this story, so I hope that you enjoy reading it!**


	10. Auditions

**A/N: If you haven't read the redone conversation between Ren and Yashiro, please do so now. Thank you so much for reading.**

Chapter 10: Auditions

It had been a few days since Ren had dropped the bomb, and Yashiro's mind was still reeling. He was sitting in his small living room, drumming his fingers on the coffee table, trying to made the information fit. 'Okay. Ren is the son of Hizuri Kuu. That sort of makes sense. They do look similar, if you think about it. Ren has some American mannerisms. Sort of…not really but…I guess he has to work not to. And I guess that means he changed his name.' He had already looked up the son of Hizuri Kuu and Hizuri Julie on the computer and came up with a tall, blonde young man named Kuon. 'Is that why Ren seemed to be startled when Kuu called Kyoko 'Kuon?' But why did he run away from home? Or did he?' He rested his head in his hands and tried to wrap his mind around it. 'It must have been so hard to come to a strange country to make a life for himself when he was so young. It said that Kuon left home around 15. I met him when he was…about 19? I haven't known him for that long. He was almost 20 when I became his manager. Even then his schedule was ridiculous.' Yashiro chucked to himself. "He's such a hardworking guy. But I wonder why he came to Japan in the first place."

* * *

><p>"Should I not have told him?" Ren asked his empty living room. It was about 10:30 in the morning, but Ren didn't have work until 12, so he had told Yashiro to sleep in. He was waiting for Kyoko to call him and let him know about her audition. She had told him yesterday that she was going to audition for a commercial. His heart swelled with pride. She had gone to a strange country and, in a matter of days, had managed to create a new persona and get into one of the top agencies in the area. For the last few days, she had been preparing for her commercial audition and hadn't called him as much, but he could hear the happiness in her voice. Julie was trying to get her to audition for her modeling agency, and he thought it was a great idea if she was interested. 'She would be a fantastic model. She would be a fantastic anything.'<p>

Shaking his head, he tried to focus on his original dilemma. 'Yashiro hasn't said anything else about it, but does that mean that he is angry? Upset? Surprised? Hurt that I didn't say anything? I couldn't! I shouldn't have in the first place….it's just that I didn't want to lie to him anymore. He the closest thing to a 'best friend' that I have. I know that I can trust him; we just can't tell the President that he knows.

But what about Kyoko? I know that I want to tell her. I miss her so much, and it would be a great excuse to see her. I feel like we are getting closer. She isn't as skittish as she used to be, and living with my parents, in a stable loving family, something she has never really had, will only help. Maybe she will be able to accept love and realize what it should be like.

I haven't written her as Corn lately. What can I say? I can't tell her much about myself, but if I try to get information about Tsuruga-Ren, she will think that I'm gay.' He groaned again at the thought and the complicated situation he had managed to get himself in to. 'Maybe I can figure out a way to do this…'

* * *

><p>Kyoko sat in the waiting room outside of the office of the head of the acting department. His name was Jeremy Write, and he would be the man that she would be dealing with the most. He was young and seemed to perpetually be on his phone, making her miss Sawara-san, but he seemed to be qualified, despite insisting that she call him Jeremy. As Rosa, she had shrugged and smiled, willing to call him whatever she wanted, all the while resisting the urge to let Kyoko out. When he appeared in the doorframe, she looked up at him.<p>

"Come on back, Rosa." He motioned for her to follow and sat behind his small desk, which was crammed between some filing cabinets and book shelves. "The director would like you to be in his commercial. I assume that you are interested."

'I auditioned didn't I?' "Yes. Very much so. Thank you." She answered calmly. Inwardly, she was hopping around, screaming in triumph. 'My first job in America! I'm so excited. Tsuruga-san will be so proud of me….wait. No. So will Father and Mother and Kanae. Not just Tsuruga-san. Not even 'mostly' Tsuruga-san! He's at the bottom of the list of people who will be excited for me! No…not the bottom…the middle! He's in the middle!'

"Um…Rosa?"

"I'm sorry. Can you repeat that?"

He seemed wary. She had been staring at the desk with that calm expression for a while now. "Um yes. Here are the forms, the meeting information, the phone numbers you may need, and a draft of the script. Have a good day." Immediately the man picked up his phone and began yelling. Kyoko stood and showed herself out. 'Everyone in American show business seems quite rude.' She thought with a frown, suddenly missing home very much.

Pulling out her own phone, Kyoko found an empty room, shut the door behind her, and dialed speed dial number four. "Hello Kyoko."

She smiled as the deep voice seemed to caress her cheek. 'Wait! What! Caress my cheek! What am I thinking!' "Hello Tsuruga-san. How are you? Have you eaten?"

The chuckle on the other end made her smile involuntarily. "I am fine. Yes I just finished a healthy breakfast of eggs and sausage."

"Oh. I didn't know that you liked American style breakfast, Tsuruga-san."

"Hmm. I like it occasionally." 'Too bad I can never manage to keep the shells out of the eggs…' "So are you going to tell me what happened or are you going to make me suffer from the anticipation?"

Her giggle made his heart stop momentarily. "I got it." She answered shyly.

"Congratulations." His voice was warm and she could hear the same pride that had been in her father's voice. "When do you start filming?"

She pulled out the forms. "Actually I just got out of the meeting with Jeremy, the acting department head. Um….here we go." She pulled out the folder from her bag. "The first meeting is in three days. The filming schedule will be set after that, but it will last for two to three days. The filming will be in…" She grimaced as she tried to read the name of the studio. "Well Father will know where it is." She said a little sadly.

"Don't get frustrated." He said gently. "You're getting a lot better, and it will be a while before you can read everything. Kuu will always be there to help you. And there are online dictionaries that you can find on your phone." Kyoko's eyes opened wide as she remembered when he tried to look up that word on his phone when she was Bo. 'Why does Tsuruga-san know about all the online dictionaries?'

"I might look into that. Thank you."

"So what are you up to now?"

"Hmm. Well, I'll probably just go home after I call Moko-san. Or I might look around the area for a while." He frowned.

"By yourself?"

"I guess so. I don't really know anyone around here."

"How are you getting home?"

"Um…I'll probably walk." She said quietly.

"Can't you call Hizuri-san?" He asked incredulously. He didn't know how far it was, but he was not comfortable with the thought of her walking around alone.

"Well he told me to call his butler, Jack, to come and pick me up…but I'd rather not bother him."

"Kyoko, please don't walk home alone." He said softly.

"Tsuruga-san! It's fine. I've done it before." She bit her tongue. 'Please don't tell Father though.'

"Kyoko, when you want to go home, call the butler. Or I'll come over there and drive you myself."

Kyoko laughed nervously. "Tsuruga-san, you don't know where I am. Besides, you wouldn't be here in time to take me home."

"Did you know that the President has a private jet?" His voice was smug. "And you'd have someone to drive you from now on." Kyoko was stunned. Ren, however, was liking the idea.

"Tsuruga-san! You can't! I'll call Jack when I want to go home! I promise!" Ren was laughing and Kyoko pouted, glad that no one was around to see this conversation. "You shouldn't tease me like that!" He laughed harder, so she just crossed her arms and waited.

When he finally caught his breath, he remembered what else he wanted to talk about. "Did you decide if you were going to audition for Julie's modeling agency?"

She dithered for a minute. "I don't think I will." She mumbled.

"Why? Does it not sound fun?" He wondered. He was glad that he had agreed to try modeling. He wondered why Kyoko wouldn't want to try.

"I…I don't think I can."

"Kyoko." His voice was suddenly stern. "Do you want to do it?"

"Yes." She whispered. "It sounds like fun and it would help my career." She admitted.

"Then what's the problem?"

"What if they don't accept me?"

"Then you still have a job at Kuu's acting agency. You are still going to star in a commercial and you will still have a job at LME when you come back." He assured her softly.

She sighed. "Are you ever wrong?" She wondered with a wry smile.

He laughed loudly. "Occasionally. Not very often though."

"Thank you Tsuruga-san."

It was his turn to sigh. "You know, I've been calling you Kyoko for a while now. I think it would be safe for you to call me Ren." She blushed brightly on the other end.

'I can't! I could never be so disrespectful! But...if he wants me to...' "Thank you…Ren."

* * *

><p>Kanae drummed her fingers on the table in the café. She was still waiting for Kyoko's call. 'Where is she? I'll bet she already called Tsuruga.' Suddenly there was somewhere in front of her. "May I join you?"<br>"Sure. What are you doing here? Where's your shadow?"

Yashiro smiled. "Ren doesn't start filming until 12, so I came in a little early. He's probably going to show up any time now." Kanae nodded and looked up when the waitress approached.

"A coffee and…" Kanae looked at the menu again, pointing at one of the items. "this salad please. No dressing."

"I'll have coffee and the ramen please." Yashiro said politely. The waitress hurried away and Kanae put the menu down. "Have you talked to Kyoko?"

"Yes. I'm actually waiting for…" The phone vibrated. She looked at the man across from her apologetically and he motioned for her to go ahead. "Hello?" Yashiro pretended to be engrossed in the menu. "Really? Congratulations." He peeked at the girl. Her face was relaxed into a happy smile. He found himself smiling too. "Of course. I think that's a good idea. Make sure…" She frowned a little in annoyance. 'She doesn't like being interrupted, but she loves Kyoko too much to say anything.' Yashiro laughed a little. "No. Mo Kyoko, of course not!" She rolled her eyes. "I didn't say that. You'll do fine." She was drumming her fingers and seemed about to launch into a long tirade when she seemed to remember Yashiro. 'Did she just blush?' "Hey, can I call you back later? Yes. I'm having lunch with Yashiro-san." Her blush grew bright and she ducked her head. "MO! Kyoko! You're one to talk!" She sighed. "I'll call you back in a while. Okay. You too." She turned back to the very amused man sitting across from her and realized that their food had arrived.

"So what did she want?" He asked with a small smile.

"Nothing." She grumbled, still red.

They made small talk for a while, nibbling at their food. "Where are you headed?" He wondered as they finished.

"Um...I have shooting in about thirty minutes. I should go." He nodded and stood, discreetly slipping several bills on the table, enough to cover the meal and a tip. "I'll walk you." She seemed so flustered by this that she didn't seem to notice him paying.

"Don't you have to meet Tsuruga?" She snapped.

"I'll text him and tell him that I'll meet him on the set."

* * *

><p>Kyoko entered the house that evening to find Kuu and Julie in the kitchen. "I'm home."<p>

"Welcome home." Kuu smiled at her from the stove and Julie gave her a hug.

"Hey sweetie. How did it go?"

Kyoko pulled out a folder which Kuu immediately seized. "The first meeting is in three days." She said shyly, and Julie threw her arms around her again.

"Congratulations, sweetie!" She cried, and Kuu ruffled her hair with a proud smile.

"Do you know the director Father?"

"Director Marks? No, I haven't met him, but I've met his father. Nice enough guy, professional. Not actually very memorable." He said with a small shrug.

As Kyoko pulled the dishes out and helped Kuu cook, he told her about his experience with Director Marks's father and about the other commercials that he had filmed. When they were finally all seated, Kyoko turned to Julie. "Mother, do you think…maybe, if it's not too much trouble…" She took a deep breath. "Do you think I could try to join your agency?"

"Kyoko, you want to try modeling?" Kuu asked in surprise. The girl nodded softly. Afraid that he would be upset, she clenched her fists in her lap. When she peeked up, she saw him smiling brightly. "I think that's a great idea!" He cried. "Julie, don't you think she would be a fantastic model?" Julie laughed a little.

"I agree. She certainly has a good figure, and a good sense of style. But, look at her face." Kyoko blushed and ducked her head as they examined her. "So expressive! Those eyes! Even with the contacts in, they are perfect."

Kuu nodded. "My daughter is perfect!" He said with a smile. "She'll be a great model! The best in America!" Julie laughed at her husband and at Kyoko's embarrassment.

She leaned over as Kuu went on. "Don't worry sweetie. You get used to it."

* * *

><p>Ren pulled out the most recent letter. 'Corn didn't write her back yet. Why is she writing again?'<p>

"Dear Corn,

Everything is going well in America. Tomorrow I go to the first meeting of my first commercial in America, and I am very excited. I must say that I don't like the people that I work for. Jeremy, the head of the acting department, is always on the phone and seems preoccupied, which seems rude to me but may be normal in America. The President is still a bit condescending. The other men who head the agency rarely speak to the new talents, and the bigger actors rarely deign to acknowledge us. I feel like I shouldn't be complaining, and maybe it is wrong of me to feel this way, but I prefer working with people in Japan. Tsuruga Ren is a big time actor, and is very popular, but he is never rude and he will talk to anyway. The head of my department is always friendly and will never treat the other members of my section badly.

Actually, I wanted to ask your opinion about something. It is about Ren. (He did give me permission to call him that! I am not trying to be rude.) He was advising me about my English and mentioned online dictionaries. Well, I guess I should give you the whole story. I secretly acted as a chicken mascot for a variety show in Japan. When I was acting as this chicken, I met Ren (when he still hated me, so I never told him for fear that he would be mean to me) and he asked me to borrow a phone. I told him that I didn't have one and found out that he needed to look up a word on the internet that he didn't understand. It was a strange word to be having trouble with, but I never thought about it after that.

But I was thinking about it earlier. He also told me that he had been fired several times early in his career and he…well I just believe that this was in America. Do you think that this makes sense? I couldn't ask him…it would be very presumptuous of me, but I think that he is from America and was having trouble because he did not grow up speaking Japanese. I wonder why he would hid this, or even why he chose to come to Japan if he didn't speak the language very well.

Anyway, I know that you haven't responded to my last letter, and I'm sorry if I'm bothering you. Please don't feel like you have to keep answering my letters. It's okay if you don't want to be in contact with me anymore. Please take care.

Sincerely,

Kyoko"

Ren sighed and dropped his head in his hands. 'Well, this certainly makes things complicated.'

* * *

><p>Kyoko arrived at the meeting early. Taking a seat in one of the chairs, she waited for the director to arrive. It was only 7 in the morning and the meeting was scheduled for 7:30. Her phone vibrated in her pocket and she pulled it out and checked the screen. "Good luck –Ren" She smiled softly. She knew that it was late in Japan, but he was taking time to text her.<p>

* * *

><p>Ren let himself relax in the bed. When the phone vibrated, he reached blindly for the phone on the nightstand and opened the message, blinking at the bright light. "Thank you so much. Good night. –Kyoko" He grinned and replaced the phone. 'Small and trivial progress. Heh.'<p>

* * *

><p>The director entered the room a few minutes after she did. He seemed surprised to see the small girl sitting at the end of the table. She stood with a soft smile. "You must be Rosa. Nice to meet you." He said, hiding his surprise and holding out his hand. She approached him and took his hand, shaking it firmly.<p>

"It's nice to meet you as well Director Marks. I look forward to working with you." He smiled at her politeness. 'That's unusual.'

Sitting across from her, he pulled out a folder. "So this will be your first gig here in the states, huh?"

She nodded. "Yes. I'm very excited to have to opportunity."

'Wow. Very polite. But professional.' "You are from Japan, correct?"

"Yes. I moved here recently and joined this agency only a few days ago."

"Wow. You're getting right into it then. How are you liking America?"

"I haven't seen very much of it, but I am enjoying myself."

"You miss Japan though, right?"

She laughed a little. "Very much. It will always be my home."

"I know what you mean…well sort of. I'm originally from Florida, in the south-east." She nodded. "Believe it or not, it sometimes seems like a foreign country here." The girl smiled brightly and his heart skipped. 'Wow. The longer I look at her, the prettier she seems. I wonder if she had a boyfriend…not that I'm interested! She's so young…but it seems like she would have someone.'

Slowly, members of the cast and a few crewmembers trickled in. To Kyoko's surprise, a few people didn't arrive until almost 8. When they were all seated, the director began to introduce everyone. Kyoko found herself next to a girl around her age with platinum blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She introduced herself as Maria and was the other lead. Kyoko smiled inwardly, thinking of little Maria from home. 'I wonder how she is. Maybe the President will let me talk to her.'

When it was her turn, she smiled around the table. "My name is Rosa. I'll be playing one of the leads." The blonde smiled back at her, but the others merely nodded.

"Okay. Now that everyone knows everyone else, let's get started." He pulled out his papers. "This commercial is going to focus on Rosa and Maria. Rosa, Maria, the two of you are going to be best friends who are at a club. Maria, you are going to be shy and unwilling to talk to anyone, but Rosa is going to give you some of her perfume, 'Confidence' which, will, of course, give you the confidence to go and dance. Pretty straight forward. The filming will be…" He looked at the date on his phone. "This Thursday, and we should finish up Friday." Kyoko thought of the generic commercial and wanted to speak up. The only other commercial she had been a part of had been set up like a story. This was just a bare advertisement using a cliché scene. However, she only nodded and followed the others out.

Once in the hallway, the blonde turned to her. "Are you from Japan?" She asked suddenly, as though she had been holding that in for a while.

Kyoko gave a small smile and placed her phone back in her pocket instead of calling Jack. "Yes. I am. Have you ever been there?"

"Only once. I went with my family. My dad had a job in Japan and he brought my mom and me along. It was beautiful."

Kyoko's smile grew. "Oh. Where did you go?"

"Kyoto."

"Ah. I'm from Tokyo." She said softly, not wanting to share her real story. The girl nodded.

"I've heard it's very…busy." Kyoko nodded.

"Yes, you get used to it." Maria nodded.

"I'm from here, born and raised in California. Do you like it?"

"Hmm. Yes. It is very warm. Not as crowded as Japan."

The conversation fizzled and Kyoko wondered if she was supposed to say something else. Maria seemed to be focuses on the floor, apparently thinking the same thing. "Well," She finally said. "I guess I'll see you Thursday. It was nice to met you, Rosa." She smiled and held out her hand.

Kyoko shook her hand and nodded. "It was nice to meet you as well."

Standing outside, Kyoko wondered what to do. Her audition for her mother's agency wasn't for a few hours. She still had no idea how her mother had managed to get her in so quickly. She checked her watch. 11:00. She had until 3. Making a quick decision, she headed for her agency and the café she knew was nearby.

Sitting in the dark room, she looked over the menu. When someone sat across from her, she started to stand and leave, but looking up, she saw Will. "You again." He said cheerfully. She suppressed a sigh. 'Does this guy follow me wherever I go... that's kind of creepy.'

"Good afternoon Will." She said simply.

"My uncle told me that you go by Rosa now."

"Did he tell anyone else?" She couldn't help the bright, irritated smile that spread across her face. He laughed a little.

"No. Just me. And only because I asked. Sorry. But now I know not to call you Kyoko when I see you around."

'What makes you think that you will see me around?' "Oh." She said simply.

"You don't like me much, do you?" She looked up, startled.

"I don't know you much." She retorted, obviously surprised.

"Oh come on. I thought we were becoming friends." She stared at him in confusion. He finally sighed. "Alright. Friendly acquaintances?" He asked hopefully. She continued to stare at him. "So, what are you doing later?"

Will led Kyoko down the hall. She trailed behind him, not sure what she was doing. 'I have nothing else to do until 3, and it will only take me about 20 minutes to get to Mother's agency.' The door he led her through was in the actor's school.

Two guys and a girl looked up from a piece of paper. She was stunned when she saw the blonde girl from her meeting. "Hey Rosa." She waved and Kyoko gave her a surprised smile.

"Well you obviously know Maria. She's our keyboardist. This is Tyler and Sam. They play bass and drums." Kyoko smiled at them, and they waved.

"So this is your whole band?"

"Yea…why? Can you play the electric violin or something cool like that? Because we could use more people. Heck, can you play the triangle?" Kyoko laughed and shook her head.

"No. I'm afraid I don't play any instruments."

"Are you from Japan!" The man Will had introduced as Tyler asked.

Kyoko gave a tired smile, wondering how many people were going to ask her this. "Yes." She said simply, and Maria laughed a little. "So how did you all meet?" She tried to change the subject.

"Maria and I went to school together." Sam spoke up. "And I met Tyler here. We met Will online and when we found out that he was coming up, we asked him to meet up with us."

"What about you? How do you know Will?" Maria wondered.

"We met in the airport when she got here. I gave her money for the payphone." He said proudly while Kyoko fought not to roll her eyes. The others didn't restrain themselves and Kyoko fought a laugh.

After being invited to sit down, and then offered a soda (which she politely declined) and then water (which she accepted) she found herself forgetting the time and had to leave in a hurry to arrive at her audition. On her way, she was smiling to herself. 'The fact that Will seems to be following me around is strange, and seeing Maria twice was a surprise, but maybe they will be my friends while I am here. I've never had a group of friends before…that was nice.'


	11. Threats and Promises

Chapter 11: Threats and Promises

Kyoko hurried into the room where her mother was already waiting. "There you are sweetie." The tall blonde smiled in greeting. They were in the room alone, so they hugged and Julie quickly informed her of what would happen. "They are probably just going to have a quick interview with some people from the scouting department. Then another interview with the head of the agency and two other representatives from the company. You might have to do some modeling, but there will be a training period before you get any gigs. Are you nervous?" Kyoko was only able to nod. "Oh sweetie." She hugged her again. "You'll be fine. Don't be scared."

"What if they don't want me?" She asked quietly.

"Then you can decide if you want to try another agency, or you can stick with acting. That's up to you." She said simply. "It doesn't mean anything other than they aren't looking for someone like you. That's not a bad thing. It's nothing against you. Trust me. I was rejected by three agencies before I worked here." She whispered in a conspiring voice.

"NO!" She stared at her mother in shock. "You're lying aren't you!"

Julie laughed. "Why would I lie about something like that?" Kyoko shook her head.

"Because it doesn't seem possible!" Julie smiled and shrugged.

"They were looking for a different type of model to fit their image. I didn't. That didn't mean that there was something wrong with me or that they were a bad agency, just that we weren't right for each other." Kyoko smiled and nodded, feeling more comfortable.

The door opened and Julie stood. They had agreed beforehand that Kyoko would apply as Rosa, with no relation to Julie Hizuri. Julie held out a hand and another woman smiled and shook hers. "Hello, you must be Rosa, Julie's friend. I'm Karen. Can you come with me please?" Kyoko smiled and followed, nodding to the encouraging look that Julie gave her.

Karen led her to a small room and shook the girl's hand over a small desk. "Please sit down. I'm the head of the scouting department and I'll be in charge of interviewing you to see if you are right for our agency. How are you today."

"I'm doing well. And you?"

Karen smiled at the polite girl. "I'm fine. Now, it says your name is Rosa. Is this a stage name?"

"Yes."

"Okay. That's fine. We don't require you to give your real name and background to anyone but the President, and that isn't until after we hire you. However, if we find any criminal background that we were not informed of, we have the right to fire you on the spot. Also, there will be random drug testing. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Good. Okay, so it says you are from Japan. Where in Japan?" Kyoko wondered if she needed to know or was just curious.

"Tokyo."

"Do you have any modeling experience?"

"No. I'm an actress."

"Ah. Okay. I see. And how long have you been acting?"

"A little over a year. And I recently signed a contract here in America."

"Oh. Congratulations. Why are you interested in modeling?"

Here Kyoko stopped and thought about it. Honestly, her mind kept going back to Ren. "I think that it will help my career, and give me more experience. But honestly, I know an actor who is also a model." She smiled softly and Karen was taken aback. 'She's actually very pretty.' "And he loves it very much."

The next interview went well, and soon it was time for Kyoko to model. Relying on the only model she knew, she used Natsu to walk, model, and express the emotions required. She waited for the results with Julie.

* * *

><p>In the office, Karen consulted with the other women. "She's very talented. Good posture, good figure. Not the kind of girl we usually go for, but she is cute. I think with the right look, she could be beautiful."<p>

"Expressive face." Another woman put in. "Certainly a good figure."

"Her expressions seem limited." The President said simply. "Seductive. Smirks. Even cruel. But can she do anything else?"

When Kyoko was called back in, she shook all of their hands and took a seat. It was the President who spoke. "We're going to do something a little…out of the ordinary. We are going to accept you…conditionally. You seem to do well with the modeling, but your expressions are limited. There is a shoot on Monday. If you can successfully complete the shoot to the photographer's satisfaction, then we would gladly accept you into our agency."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile in his office, President Lory was sitting across from Saena Mogami, a cold look in his eyes. He had found plenty on this woman, and Ren's description of her treatment of Kyoko had made him furious, but he had no luck finding anything on Saena's business partner. Still, the fact that she had abused Kyoko as a child made him decide never to help this woman.<p>

"My daughter has been missing for over two weeks, and you are telling me that you have no idea where she is?"

"I'm afraid that I have no information on Kyoko's whereabouts." He lied coolly.

"You do realize that the law is on my side President Takarada?"

He gave a bright smile. "Yes. For now, Mogami-san." She glared.

"What exactly are you insinuating?" She snarled.

"Let's just say that I've heard some…interesting things about your treatment of your daughter."

"That little liar! You can't believe a thing she says. She will say anything to get me in trouble!"

"Why would she want to get you in trouble?" He clenched his fists, remembering the sad expression on her eyes when she had first mentioned her mother. 'I would be sad if I was related to this woman too.'

"Because I wouldn't let her continue acting!"

"And why is that?"

"That is none of your business! What I do with my daughter…"

"Your daughter…." He paused, not wanted to lose his temper entirely. "… is not an object that you can do with as you will. She is a person, a very sweet person, not to mention a very talented actress. You have no idea how lucky you were to gave such a good daughter," He stood, motioning for Sebastian to come forward. "And how stupid you were to give her up." He lowered his voice and narrowed his eyes, stepping closer to her. "I hope you understand that Kyoko has several, very powerful, friends, and that these friends will do whatever they can to protect her. You cannot make that girl marry someone for a business deal." Her eyes widened and he stepped closer. "And you cannot make her stop acting." His voice was now a menacing whisper. "If you try to hurt her, you will regret it. Now get out of my office." He stepped back and watched Sebastian escort the stunned but furious woman out of the office and out of the building.

* * *

><p>To say that Kyoko was nervous was an understatement. She felt her hands shaking and clasped them together. 'What if I can't do it? What if the photographer doesn't like me? How am I supposed to remember what to do?' Julie had been ecstatic when she was driving her home. "No one gets a gig so quickly after being accepted!" Kyoko had managed to smile and chat with Julie, but on the inside she had wanted to cry from fear. 'Doesn't she understand that I still may not be accepted?'<p>

The clock on her nightstand read 8:00. She had opted out of dinner and headed straight for her room, worrying both Kuu and Julie, but neither had tried to question or stop her. She held the cell phone in her hand, clutching it tightly. Finally she dialed the number and held the phone to her ear. "Good evening Kyoko." She smiled slightly at his deep voice.

"Good afternoon, Ren." She said, trying to steady her voice. He immediately picked up the fear.

"What's wrong?" He asked urgently, and she couldn't help but lament that she was constantly making the people she loved worry about her. 'Wait. What? Love? The people I love? But…' "Kyoko!" She realized that Ren had been calling her name and instantly pictured him hijacking the President's jet. Stifling the giggle, she quickly responded.

"Sorry! I'm fine. Nothing's wrong." He was silent. "Well, I'm really nervous about the modeling thing, but…"

"Wait…they accepted you! Congratulations! Now you are an actress and a model! I'm so proud of you!" His sincerity made her blush.

"Thank you. But it's not that simple. My acceptance is based on my performance at a modeling shoot. What if I can't do this?" She asked quietly.

"What do you mean! Of course you can do it!" He assured her. "I taught you to walk like a model, didn't I?" She laughed as she remembered his demonstration of the female catwalk. "Hey, you promised never to laugh about that!" He attempted to make his voice scolding but failed. She laughed along with him.

"So when is the gig?" He asked after a pause.

"Next week. Monday morning."

"Well then you have time to prepare." She laughed at that.

"That's not enough time!" She cried. "I have to prepare for the commercial filming too!"

He smiled on his end of the line. 'She may have taken on too much, but I'm sure that she can do it.' "You'll be fine." He assured her. "If you need any help, please don't be afraid to ask me. Okay?"

"Thank you." She paused for a few moments. "Has President Lory found anything?"

Ren sighed. "I'm sorry. I haven't heard anything. He hasn't called me for a while." When she was silent, he felt the need to apologize again, but couldn't think of anything he could do. "You know, you just signed a contract for Kuu's agency. You won't be able to come home for a while anyway."

"I know." He closed his eyes when he heard the tears in her voice. "And I'm grateful that I'm getting the opportunity to act here…but if I could just…" She trailed off and his arms ached to hold her.

"I'm so sorry." He whispered. "I'm so, so sorry Kyoko. If there was anything I could do…if I could have let you stay here…" They were both silent, and Kyoko took a deep breath.

"This isn't your fault." Her voice was suddenly very firm. "This is my mother's fault. " He smiled a little.

'She's always been so strong. Still, I want to see her so badly. I miss her. But I can't do it yet. But maybe I can do something.'

* * *

><p>For once, Lory's office wasn't decorated or turned into some strange land. There was a desk. There was a plant. That was it. This scared Kanae even more. The President sat across from another dark haired woman. This time, his expression was soft, while hers was wary. "Love me number two."<p>

"Good afternoon President Lory." She was nervous. She hadn't been called in to see the President in months. 'Surely he isn't going to fire me...I haven't done anything bad! Oh no. Tell me it isn't some strange, secret job like he gave Kyoko!'

"I have a Love Me Assignment for you."

**A/N: Ta da. This is the last of the three chapters I managed to write this weekend. It may be a bit before I can get another chapter out, but I hope you enjoy this one. Let me know what you think and I will try to respond. Thank you all so much for reading, adding this story (and me!) to your favorites list, and alerting. **


	12. Stupid

**A/N: So apparently to me, a bit is a day. Sigh. I was supposed to be doing math…**

Chapter 12: Stupid

Kyoko looked at the calendar on her phone. Wednesday April 3rd. She had been living with Kuu for nearly three weeks, and already she was about to start over in her career as an actress, and begin working as a model. She had informed Kuu and Julie that she would be staying in to work on her script for 'Confidence.' It wasn't a hard commercial. Actually, her only lines were 'Here, try some of mine." and "Better?" She rolled her eyes. 'What a dumb commercial. There is no character building, no moving lines or story to catch the viewers attention. It's boring.' She plopped down on her bed. It was already 10 in the morning and she hadn't gotten much done. But then again, the only problem was the club. 'I've never actually been to a club. I could ask Tsuru…Ren….but it's only 3 in the morning there, he's probably asleep and I don't want to bother him.' She sighed in frustration.

* * *

><p>"I don't understand what you are doing sir."<p>

Lory looked over at Sebastian, wondering why his aid was still there at 3 am. They were currently watching a love drama. At the moment, one of the main characters had just caught his secret love in a rather compromising position with another woman. Lory smirked as he remembered what would happen next. 'Where_does_ he get that stapler anyway?' "I'm not sure what you are talking about, Sebastian." The man was standing in a dark corner, no longer wearing the turban, instead dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. 'I'll bet no one has ever seen him like this…. except maybe his wife…wait a minute. Is he married?'

"I don't understand what you are doing regarding Kyoko-chan. You are keeping her location a secret from her mother. But are you really planning on trying to get custody of her? Why did you threaten her mother? What could you possibly do to her? Expose her business? You can't prove that she is doing anything illegal, nor can you link her to Hayashi-san. Even if you could, his business is legitimate…or his cover business is anyway. You certainly can't prove anything else. What about Ren-san? Why are you letting him get involved in this? How is Sho-san supposed to play into this? And what about that Love Me assignment you gave to Kanae-chan? How will that help matters?"

Lory sighed. 'He's certainly keeping track of all this.' "The assignment has nothing to do will all this." Sebastian looked unconvinced, but he didn't try to argue. "My lawyers and a few other of my people are working to get some solid evidence against Mogami Saena and Hiyashi-san."

"And if you can't?"

"You know me Sebastian. I'm the President of LME, the most successful entertainment agency in Japan. I'll make a movie!" He stood up suddenly, and Sebastian was only mildly surprised that there was suddenly a spotlight on his boss and old friend. "Kyoko and Saena will be played by the best actresses I can find, and we will expose Saena's dirty secrets to the entire world! (or all of Japan anyway) Everyone will see how Saena treated her daughter, and they will be move to tears by the little girl's pain!" Here the spotlight dimmed and several others began moving about the room. Sebastian sighed and sat down.

'I wonder if he plans this in advance or if he just has some people waiting on standby.'

"When they see Kyoko's triumphant entrance into show business, her blooming romance with Japan's top actor, and her moving friendship with so many entertainment giants, they will have no choice but to root for her!" The spotlight was back on Lory, but the other lights were slowly coming back on. Sebastian yawned.

'Did I feed Jethro? Oh well. He'll be fine.'

"Then, as the present situation is presented, there will be an outrage! Two lovers, kept apart by the girl's cruel mother! A young woman forced to flee the only home she knows to save herself from an arranged marriage!" He finally sat back down and grinned at his bored friend. "There will be a riot. And Saena will have no choice but to quietly settle with us if she wants to keep her reputation."

"I know you aren't serious."

"Of course not." The President laughed. "Do you know how long it would take to shoot a movie?"

"So what are you going to do?" Sebastian wondered, a bit exasperated.

"I just told you."

* * *

><p>"I can't believe I'm doing this." She mumbled to herself as she searched the house. She had run all the possibilities in her mind and this had seemed like the best idea at the time. Now she wasn't so sure, but she couldn't figure out anything else she could do. 'Oh well. Hopefully it works.'<p>

Jack looked up from the dishes. "Can I help you with something Kyoko?" He asked with a friendly smile. The polite young girl had won him over from the day he met her, and he was willing to help whenever she asked (which was rare.)

"Can I have Will's phone number please?" She mumbled, ignoring the surprised look on the butler's face.

"Um…of course." He said, trying not to laugh at the blush on the girl's cheeks. 'My nephew will be pleased….he already asked for her number but I didn't know it.' Jack pulled out a piece of paper and scribbled it down, then handed it to the girl who snatched it and disappeared, trying to escape from his bubbling laughter. 'Poor girl. She must be shy.'

The phone only rang twice before she heard his voice. "Yea?" He mumbled.

"Um…Will?"

"Yea."

"It's Kyoko."

"Kyoko!" Suddenly he was wide awake and sitting upright. "Good…" He glanced at the clock from under his blanket. "afternoon. How did you…I mean how are you?"

"I'm doing well. How are you?"

"Fine. Um…can I help you?"

"I hope so." She sighed and sat down on her own bed. "You see, I have filming tomorrow and I was wondering if you could advise me on something."

'Advise her?' Immediately his mind jumped to several things he would like to 'advise' her about, and he shook it violently. "Um…sure? I guess. What's up?"

"Well, I have to film at a club for a commercial." She began. He was silent, trying to figure out why she was calling him. "And…um…I've never been to a club." He was still silent. "Have you?"

"Uh…yes. A few times."

"Then…um…do you think you could tell me…what to do? I mean, how I should act."

Will took a deep breath and tried to think. "Well, I guess you would dance sort of…you know, while you walk around. And…smile." He finished lamely. He honestly had no idea how to describe a club to her. Suddenly, he smiled. "What are you doing tonight?"

"Nothing…"

"Then how about a date?"

"Excuse me!" She cried. 'I barely know him! How can he just casually say that!'

On the other end, he laughed. "I mean, come to a club with me. You can see how people act in that setting and I can show you what to do. Sound good?"

"It's not a date!" She cried, sending a small arrow through his heart. He laughed a little wryly.

"Okay okay. No need to be so adamant about that. It's not a date. But I'll come get you, okay? Around…9?" Kyoko thought for a moment.

"What time would we be back? Filming starts at 11 tomorrow."

"Midnight at the latest." He assured her.

"Okay then. I'll see you."

* * *

><p>Kanae stared at the digital clock in her room. 6 AM. 'Why did the President give me such a strange assignment? I'm not complaining! Not at all! But…wouldn't Tsuruga-san be better suited to this?'<p>

* * *

><p>Ren and Yashiro sat in the car. Their filming started at 7, so both were tired. It had been a while since Ren had been forced to go in so early. 'I wonder what she is doing.' Ren didn't bother trying to shake the thought from his mind. More and more like it invaded his thoughts every day. 'Is she happy? I haven't heard from her since yesterday…but the time difference makes it impossible to talk too much. And we are both fairly busy.'<p>

Next to him, Yashiro was starting out the window, sneaking peaks at Ren. 'I can't believe he's not Japanese! I would never have guessed that he was from America. That just shows how good of an actor he is. I wonder if he has trouble understanding when I talk…but he never shows it. He must have grown up learning some Japanese if Kuu Hizuri was his father. Kanae's hair smells nice…WAIT A MINUTE! Where did that come from!"

Ren looked over at the horrified expression on his manager's face. 'I don't even want to know.'

* * *

><p>Kyoko scribbled a note and threw it on the table. "I'll be back late. Please don't wait for me." She took another look in the mirror, grimacing. The dress was short. Shorter than some of the things Setsu wore. And the sides were almost completely open. The collar was high, circling her throat, leaving her shoulders bare. 'I'll need to dress maturely if I want to get into a club.' She scolded herself. 'I'm not going to drink or anything. I'm just observing.' She missed the surprised look Jack gave her as she hurried out the door.<p>

Will was waiting in a small car when reached the road. He threw the door open and motioned for her to join him, taking a second to admire the dress. She crossed her legs and looked away, irritated. "How old are you?" She asked.

"20. Why?"

"I was wondering how you were going to get in."

"I've done it before. They don't card you very often where we're going."

The club was small, but she could feel the music from the parking lot. "Come on." He took her hand and she let Rosa take over, keeping Natsu locked away.

'The last thing I need is for **her** to show up and cause trouble. The stood in line in the cold night air, Kyoko rubbing her arms and Will wishing that he had worn a jacket.

When they finally entered, the music nearly knocked her off her feet. Speakers around the packed room were blasting music and people were dancing against each other, seeming moving as one giant organism. 'Let's dance!" Will called, dragging her into the mass against her will.

"I'd rather not!" She screamed in his ear to be heard. He pulled her along with him and they were soon in the center of the crowded room.

"I'm showing you what to do!" He called, though she could barely hear him.

"Dance. Yes. I get it!" She called pushing him away. Turning , she made her way out of the group. 'Ren would have never done this.' She fought the stinging in her eyes. Turning back, she saw Will following her with a drink and a confused expression.

"What's the matter with you? This is a club! You wanted me to show you what to do! Here." He pushed a drink into her hand, which she promptly let drop to the floor, pinning him with a glare.

"I don't drink." She said coldly. 'I wanted to see how people acted, not thrown in the center of it all. I don't know what to do. Ren would have made me feel safe, explained what was going on. People are just dancing and yelling and the music is too loud.' She looked around and saw that she was pinned against the wall. Will was at the bar, apparently irritated, as he kept turning back and glaring at her. 'Why is he mad! All I wanted was to see what it was like to be in a club. He knew that. I told him it wasn't a date.'

Will sat in shock as he stared at his drink, which he wasn't drinking. 'I have to drive her home. I'm not going to get drunk…but what is her problem. I though she wanted to hang out. Did she really want to me to show her what a club was like? She certainly dressed like she knew. And I didn't expect her to drink. I just wanted her to hold it to keep up the illusion. Has she really never been to a club before? This girl is so strange.'

Shoving her way through the crowd, which was mostly composed of drunks, Kyoko made her way to the staircase and went upstairs, where the music was at least a little quieter. Sitting in a booth, she smiled hesitantly when a man approached her. "Hey. Can I get you anything to drink?"

'Oh. They have waiters here.' "Can I just have water please?" She asked with a smile. The man nodded and went to get her water. She jumped when her phone vibrated. Pulling it out, she checked the screen and answered with a smile. "Hello?"

Ren pulled the phone away from his ear. "Kyoko? I can barely hear you. Can you turn down the music?" He did some quick math in his head. It was almost 10 pm there. What was she doing?

"I wish!" She called into the phone. As quickly as she could, she filled him in on her little adventure. "I'm just going to ask him to take me home. This was a stupid idea." She bemoaned.

"Kyoko." She looked over when the waiter gave her a glass of water. Smiling she thanked him and took a drink. "Listen to me. Where is Will?"

"Downstairs somewhere." She said with a sigh.

'She's alone. She's alone in a club and she had no idea what she is doing or what danger she is in.' "Okay listen to me." Kyoko took a drink and winced as the room tilted.

'What the…what's going on?' She wondered. 'Oh, he's still talking.' She looked over and saw the waiter watching her strangely.

"Kyoko! Are you there?"

"mdizzy. Whatd yasay?"

"Kyoko, have you been drinking?" Ren asked incredulously. 'What is she thinking?"

"Just…just…" Kyoko closed her eyes and desperately tried to force the words out. "Water." She felt the room spin and sagged in the booth. "Can't…can't move." She slurred.

Ren felt panic surge through him. "Oh God Oh God Oh God. Kyoko hold on!" He barked into the phone before hanging up. He dialed his father's number, hand's shaking. 'She drank something someone gave her. They drugged her. Oh God. Answer….please answer." He ignored the growing fear and confusion on Yashiro's face as he waited.

Kuu picked up his phone as he read the note on the dining room table. "Dad!" Jumping at the tone in his son's voice, he was immediately alert.

The room spinning was suddenly the least of Kyoko's troubles. Her hand relaxed and the phone fell to the ground. Try as she might, her arm wouldn't move. She felt herself shaking and couldn't stop. 'But I didn't drink anything! What's in the water.' She didn't know how long she sat like that, but after a while, she noticed the waiter watching her from across the room. 'He drugged my water. Oh my gosh he drugged my water. And now…' She let the fog take her, not wanting to remember what happened next.

The next few hours, minutes, seconds, were a blur to Kyoko. She could hear some of the things going on around her, but the voices sounded far away. Snatches of conversation reached her ears.

"What were you…"

"I swear…just for a…."

"Get out of…"

"I've got her."

"She'll be… not much in… safe."

* * *

><p>Kyoko's eyes opened. She was in a car, with the seat leaned back. It was dark outside. Looking down, she realized that she was wearing the same dress. 'I remember going to a club….talking to Ren…then what?' Moving her head took some effort, but she managed to see that she was sitting next to Kuu. Blinking a few times, she saw that the clock on the dash board read 1 A.M. She was trembling and it took her a second to realize that she was cold. Her mouth refused to make words, but Kuu suddenly reached over and turned the heat up. She closed her eyes for a few seconds and must have drifted off to sleep, because the next thing she knew, she was in Kuu's arms. Looking up at him, she saw that his jaw was clenched and his eyes were narrowed.<p>

Without a word, he carried her into her bedroom, placed her gently on the bed, and left. A few seconds later, Julie came in, casting nervous glances back at her husband. She closed the door behind her, pulled the dress over Kyoko's head, and helped the still shaking girl into pajamas. Confused, Kyoko tried to ask what had happened, but Julie pushed her back onto the bed and pulled the covers up around her. Kyoko was asleep before she could watch Julie leave.

* * *

><p>Ren held his head in his hands but managed to keep the phone by his ear. Kuu was quietly explaining what had happened, and Ren could feel his father's fury from Tokyo. However, in his mind, he kept repeating, 'She's okay. She didn't get hurt. She'll be fine. Why wasn't I there? Why aren't I by her side, where I belong?'<p>

Yashiro was sitting next to him, holding his planner open, but not writing anything. He had been there when Ren had called Kyoko a few hours ago. He had seen the panic on Ren's face, heard the terror when he had screamed for his dad, and even felt panic himself when Ren had explained that Kyoko was in danger. 'If Kuu hadn't got to her in time…'

* * *

><p>Jack sat in the kitchen with Will. The young man had been the second to arrive on the scene, right after Kuu. First would have been preferable. But by the time he got there, the waiter was gone and Kuu was checking Kyoko's pulse. Jack had listened to the young man's explanation, but had barely been able to keep Kuu from attacking the boy. "It wasn't his fault." He had reminded his boss. "Kyoko wondered off."<p>

"He should have stayed with her!" Kuu had screamed, angrier than Jack had ever seen him. "He took her to the place, he should have protected her! She's 17! She didn't know what she was doing!" Jack had only nodded and promised that it wouldn't happen again. "You better believe it won't!" Had been Kuu's heated reply. "As for you." He turned on the young man seated beside his uncle. "Actually, I don't even want to look at you right now." With that, Kuu had stormed out of the kitchen and hadn't been seen since.

* * *

><p>When Kyoko woke up again, the sun was streaming through the window. She sat up suddenly, but immediately her body protested. Gagging, she dropped back down, curled into a ball, and remained perfectly still. Thinking only about her breathing, she let her body recover. 'What happened? Why didn't I set my alarm…oh no! Filming starts at 11! It's…" She looked at her bedside clock. "10 already! I have to get up."<p>

"Stay in bed." The voice was cold, and she was surprised to see that it belonged to her father. His hands didn't match his voice, however, as he gently pushed her into the pillow and tucked the covers around her, feeling her forehead. "I called the director and told him that you became very sick last night but will probably be at filming tomorrow. He assured me that it was fine." Kyoko shivered and Kuu found another blanket. However, his eyes were still cold and his jaw was clenched. "I don't know what you were thinking." He stated softly, his voice nearly menacing. "You run off in the middle of the night, not bothering to tell us where you were going. Then I get a call from K…" His frown deepened. "Ren Tsuruga in Japan. I was sure the poor man was going to have a heart attack as he was telling me what happened." Kuu paused and Kyoko felt tears pool in her eyes.

'He's angry. He's angry and he's going to send me away because I was so stupid.'

"So I call Jack, who has to call Will, who calls me back and tells me where you are. I drive to this club in the middle of downtown, find you unconscious in a booth, convulsing and surrounded by drunks,"

'I don't deserve him. I don't deserve a father or a mother. I am exactly what my mother called me: worthless. I am unlovable.'

"And I rush you to the hospital." She looked up in surprise when he suddenly scooped her up and squeezed her. "And even when the doctors said that you would be fine, that there wasn't much I could do but wait it out…I thought that I would loose you." He sobbed into her hair, holding her close. "Don't you ever do that to me again, do you understand?"

"You…" Kyoko coughed and cleared her throat, waking the muscles in her throat up and taking a deep breath. "You aren't going to make me leave?" She managed to whisper. He turned to her, obviously stunned. "I thought you were angry and were going to tell me that…that I couldn't be your daughter anymore."

Kuu looked into her eyes, squeezing her tightly. "Kyoko, no matter what you do, you will always be my daughter. Nothing can ever change that."

* * *

><p>Will sat on the bed beside Kyoko, nervously pulling at the quilt. "I'm sorry." He mumbled.<p>

"For what?" She asked quietly, and he flinched at the irritation in her words.

"I was upset because….I thought you were asking me out on a date. Look I know you said it wasn't…" He hurriedly reasoned when she glared at him. "But I thought you…well it doesn't matter. I only left you alone for a little bit, but I shouldn't have. At all. I should have known that you didn't know what you were doing. Sorry." He stared holes into the blanket.

"It wasn't your fault." She said simply.

'She isn't interested. At all...I wonder if she has a boyfriend.' He smiled cheerfully. "So friends again!"

She only stared at him for a second. "I barely know you! We weren't friends before!"

"Fine. Friendly acquaintances again?"

"And Moko-san says that I'm weird." She mumbled, turning away from him.

* * *

><p>Kyoko accepted the envelope from her father with a 'thank you' and hurried to open it. Her mother had insisted on staying with her, but her father had gone to work around noon. After a while, Julie had allowed the girl to get out of bed, but had made her stay in the house all day. Kyoko had apologized for scaring her mother, but the woman checked in on Kyoko all day. Now, she was left alone to read her letter.<p>

"Dear Kyoko,

I apologize for not responding sooner. From what you tell me, I would say that Ren Tsuruga is definitely an American. It sounds like he is using online dictionaries to supplement his Japanese. Does this bother you? Are you upset that he his this from you? Do you want to ask him about it?

As for me, I have something that I need to tell you. It is very important and I want to do it in person, but I need some time, if you can understand that. But please know that I really want to meet you. In the mean time, please continue to write to me. I love receiving your letters, although I hate that you have such a painful past.

How are things with my parents? I'm sure that they are happy to have you. Congratulations on being accepted into my father's agency, but I am sorry to hear about your department head. I know that there are some culture differences between Japan and America, but from your description it sounds like he is just rude. However, you have to learn to work with those kinds of people in your career.

Please write back and let me know what is going on in America. I hope you are doing well.

Your friend,

Corn."

She smiled and decided to write him back later. 'I have to concentrate on my role. I've already caused filming to be pushed back…so I need to make sure I do my best.' She hesitated. 'It's already 8….but I should call Ren. He was so worried…

Ren picked up his phone on the first ring. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." She mumbled, immediately feeling stupid again.

He let out the breath he felt like he had been holding since he last spoke to her. "Kyoko, if you ever feel the need to go out to a club, for your own safety and my peace of mind, **please** do not accept drinks that someone else gives you if you don't know them. Actually, don't do it if you do know them. Only if you absolutely trust them. Okay?"

"I understand." Her voice was subdued. "I'm sorry."

"I'm just glad that you're okay." He admitted softly. "What have you been doing today?"

"Nothing." She replied glumly. "They postponed filming until tomorrow. Do you think the director will be angry at me?"

"Kyoko, this wasn't your fault." He told her firmly. "Don't you believe me?"

"But it was! I was stupid and…"

"Yes. You were stupid. You made a stupid choice." She flinched. "But you know that now. And you aren't going to do it again. So now you need to move on and focus on your job." She grinned.

'He always knows what to say to make me feel better.' "Thank you, Ren." She said softly, and Ren scolded himself.

'Don't read anything into it. She's not in love with you, so you can just stop hoping.' He knew, of course, that he could never do that.

**A/N: In case you hadn't guessed, I am a fan of drama So I had to throw some in there. Hopefully I have gotten it out of my system. Let me know what you think. (just guess how much math I got done -_-)**


	13. Rosa

**A/N: Short Chapter, but I hope you enjoy. :D**

Chapter 13: Rosa

Kyoko took a deep breath as she stepped onto the CM set. She was one of the first to arrive, but the director was already on set, talking to one of the crewmembers. Making her way forward, only Rosa kept her from falling into a doegza. The director looked up from his conversation and offered her a smile. "Good morning Rosa." She stepped away from the cameraman and walked over to where she stood. "I hope that you are feeling better."

Kyoko threw herself face first onto the floor. "I am so sorry! Please forgive my unprofessional behavior yesterday! I don't deserve your kindness!" Rosa, however, only gave a professional smile. "I am, thank you. Please forgive my absence yesterday." 'Trust me, it will never happen again.' She though with determination, the face of her sempai coming to mind. 'I don't care if I am sick or injured I am. I will be like Ren and I will never be late or miss a job again. I will keep acting, even until I collapse.'

"Don't worry about it." He assured her. "It happens all the time."

Before she could reply, a woman came forward and interrupted them. "Rosa? Hi." She stuck her hand out and shook it almost violently. "I'm Jess. I'll be doing your make up and getting you ready for wardrobe. Please follow me."

Kyoko was led through a long, dimply lit hallway, pulled into a large room with a make up chair and more cosmetics than she had ever seen before all sitting out messily on a table, and pushed into a make up chair. Closing her eyes and leaning back so that Jess could get her ready, she let herself pretend that she was in Miss Woods's office and was being prepped for Setsu, so that she could spend the day with her beloved brother.

* * *

><p>Said man was, once again, a wreck. 'I don't know how much more of this I can take.' He thought as he stared at his dark ceiling. Over and over, he replayed her voice last night, the way she had stopped responding, the panic that had seized his heart, had caused him to call his father without even thinking of the consequences. 'Luckily I already told Yashiro about Dad…' He rolled over let let his face fall onto the pillow. 'I need to see her. Hearing her voice wasn't enough. Even having Dad tell me that she was okay isn't enough. I want to hold her, to protect her myself. As for that guy she was with…' He sighed as he remembered his father's attempts to explain the boy's actions, though he could tell that his father was angry<p>

with him as well. "I don't really want to think about him.'

'Could I visit her?' He wondered. 'Surely the President would allow it…and Yashiro could rearrange my schedule.' He shook his head. 'She's dealing with a lot right now, and I couldn't add my identity and my feelings for her into the mix. That wouldn't be fair to her.' He took a deep breath. 'Maybe just for a day or two…just to see her.'

Finally he sat up and checked the clock. 'Why do I keep getting up before 5?' Standing, he headed for the shower. 'But how does she feel about me? She said that her character was based off of me. She admitted to missing me. She talks to Corn about me. Does that mean anything? Maybe telling her about me would be the best. Won't it just be harder if I keep lying to her?'

Kanae pulled herself out of bed, yawning loudly. 'Why do I have to do this at 5AM?'

Ren stepped out of the shower and hurried to his bedroom and grabbed the phone that was ringing on his bedside table. 'Who could be calling me this early…Kyoko? Isn't she filming right now?' "Hello?"

"Tsuruga-san?"

"Oh. Good morning Kotonami-san…is everything okay?"

"Well…I need to talk to you."

"At 5 AM?"

"According to the President, yes."

"Okay then. What can I do for you?"

"Well, it's a Love Me assignment."

* * *

><p>Kyoko stepped out of make up and wardrobe, ignored the lustful stares that she was receiving from the crew, and stepped over to where the director was talking to Maria, who was dressed in a tight black tank top and a short denim skirt. They both turned and Kyoko was sure the director was suddenly blushing. However, he was looking away and couldn't be sure.<p>

Maria looked at her costar with a little envy. She was wearing a bright red tube top that made her chest look larger and her waist look smaller. The tight black skirt ended mid thigh and made her legs look a mile long. The high-heeled sandals accentuated her figure, and the dark, smoky make up and bright lipstick made her bright green eyes stand out. Her reddish brown hair was tied back messily with a few strands framing her face.

"Um…you look perfect, Rosa." The director smiled, and Maria fought back a laugh. "So the two of you are going to walk into the 'club'." He motioned to the set where people were standing around with water in red plastic cups or sitting at a bar where a man poured water from liquor bottles. "And Maria, you are going to act shy when they…" He pointed to two men standing together, sipping the water, "Ask you to dance. You look in your purse for some perfume, see that you don't have any, and are about to try and leave when Kyoko hands you some of her perfume, Confidence, and the two of you will go dance. Got it?"

Both girls nodded and he went to talk to some of the extras. "So are you nervous?" Maria wondered.

"Hmm…no. Not particularly." She smiled.

'How can she not be nervous? This is her first commercial.'

The two girls stepped onto the set as the Director called everyone to their places. Maria snuck sideways glances at Rosa as she got ready. Meanwhile, Kyoko was getting into character. "I'm at a club with my best friend. With Moko-san. We're having a night out together and we are going out for ice cream later." She smiled a little. "Maybe Ren will be here." She grinned brightly and hardly noticed when the director called action, choosing not to think about that man's presence in her thoughts. They stepped forward and Maria found herself taken in by Rosa's happy expression.

'I feel…like we really are best friends. Like, she would rather be with me than anyone else.' She smiled back, but when Rosa looked past her, she found herself distracted. The guys motioned for her to join them, and suddenly Maria realized that she was supposed to be nervous. Quickly adopting the appropriate expression, she was surprised when Rosa touched her shoulder. "Here." She said softly, and held out a beautiful bottle of perfume. The half amused, half concerned expression drew Maria in and she was taking the bottle before she knew what she was doing. "Try some of mine."

Remembering that she was supposed to spray the perfume on, she pointed the nozzle at her wrist and spritzed. "Better?" Maria nodded and found herself following Rosa as they joined the two men, feeling hypnotized.

"Cut!" The director's voice started Maria.

'How…how did she do that!'

After redoing the scene from different angles and working with the lighting, the director stared at the footage in amazement. 'One take…she did it in one take… We don't even need to come back tomorrow… She…did it without any real directions…how did she do that?' He looked up from his chair to see Rosa sipping a bottle of water and chatting politely with one of the extras, obvious to the looks a few of the other male extras were giving her. 'Who is this girl?'

* * *

><p>Ren zipped the bag and stood, stretching. 'Well, technically I have to do this.' He smiled widely. 'President's orders.'<p>

**A/N: What will happen next? What is this Love Me assignment? What's next for Rosa? How will the modeling shoot go? Will I ever get any actual homework done? (Let me know what you thought. Thanks for reading. Sorry it was short but…well I have to go to work…sorry)**


	14. Love Me

Chapter 14: Love Me

Kanae Kotonami shifted in her seat on the President's private jet, holding a folder in her hand. As tired as she was, she couldn't let herself fall asleep. Although she would never admit it, she was too excited. Fighting to keep the smile off of her face, she glanced over at the giant of a man across from her and the slightly shorter man in front of him. 'I don't understand why they had to help with my Love Me Assignment, but the President insisted…so I guess it's okay.' She turned away and looked out the window when the taller of the two men looked over at her. 'He didn't even bother hiding how excited he was about this. Even Yashiro-san seems happy. But what are his real feelings for my dense best friend? Is he really in love with her, or is he just interested? Is he going to hurt her?' She clenched her fists and gave the surprised man a murderous look. 'If he does, I'll kill him myself!'

'Why is she looking at me like that?' Ren couldn't help but wonder. Yashiro glanced back at the angry woman.

'Why is she looking at Ren like that? And why can't I help but think that she looks beautiful when she is angry!' He dropped his head into his hands, surprising Ren again. 'She's so beautiful…. She's a minor! She's, what, 8 years younger than me! I think…wait how old is she? I mean…she is legally able to marry….the age of consent is 16…NO! Stop it! I barely know her! She would never agree to go on a date with me…not that I want her to. No. Stop. Think about something else. It will be nice to see Kyoko again…'

Ren looked from his depressed manager to the angry looking woman sitting across from him. 'What is wrong with these people?'

* * *

><p>Kyoko sat across from her father and next to her mother, both of whom were smiling mischievously. Not sure that she wanted to know what had them both in such a good mood, she just focused on her breakfast. "So what are you plans for the day, Kyoko?" Julie asked with barely contained excitement.<p>

"Nothing much." Kyoko smiled ruefully. "I hope that I will get more offers after people see me in the commercial, but for now I don't have any work. The modeling gig is not until Monday afternoon, so I have today and tomorrow off."

Kuu was doing better at hiding his happiness, but Kyoko couldn't help but wonder at the excited smile on his face. "So you're going to hang around here all day?"

"If that's okay?" She peeked up at him.

"Of course it is. I think it will be nice if we all just hang out here together. We will have fun." Kyoko gave a hesitant smile and stood to start doing the dishes.

When she finished, Kuu all but herded her into the living room and they all sat down, Kuu and Julie on the couch and Kyoko in a recliner. The glanced around nervously, and Kuu and Julie seemed to be bouncing with excitement. "Um…is there something you wanted to do today?" She wondered.

"No." Julie glanced at the door. "We're just going to sit in the living room together and watch TV." She grinned at Kyoko.

"Okay…should we maybe…turn the TV on?"

* * *

><p>Ren grabbed the handle of his bag and placed it on his shoulder. When he reached for Kanae's bag, she snatched it away. "MO! I'll carry my own bag." She snapped. A few people standing around looked over at the sound of her voice.<p>

"I was just trying to be nice Kotonami-san." Ren said in an amused voice. He realized that if he wanted Kyoko, he would have to deal with Kanae. It wasn't really that hard, and he had a feeling that his manager didn't mind her at all. He glanced sideways at his manager who was watching the black haired woman storm off and suppressed a laugh. "Kotonami-san!" He called after her, taking a few steps and catching up with her. "Wait." He grabbed her arm and she wrenched away.

"What!" She snapped.

"We're going that way." Yashiro chuckled and waited for them as Kanae followed Ren back over to him.

"How do you know?" She grumbled. "Have you even been here before?"

"The President gave me directions." He held up a piece of paper and Kanae blushed in embarrassment.

"Whatever. Let's just go."

Twenty minutes into watching nothing on TV, Kyoko was about to go upstairs to escape the strange mood when there was a knock at the door. "Can you get that Kyoko?" Kuu asked in a happy voice.

"Um…sure?" Kyoko stood and made her way over to the door. She pulled it open a little. "Hello?" She offered a smile to whoever was on the other side of the door.

"Mo. Open the door! This is heavy." Kyoko threw the door open and her jaw dropped. Try as she might, she couldn't move.

"Moko-san?" She whispered, not believing her eyes.

"MO! Who else?" Kanae smiled a little, dropped the bag on the floor, and opened her arms. Suddenly, she was free.

"MOKO-SAN!" She screamed, throwing herself into her friend's arms. Unable to say anything over the tears that were now choking her, she buried her head in her friend's shoulder.

"You didn't think I'd let you get away with not saying goodbye, did you?" Kanae pulled back and Kyoko was surprised to see tears in her friend's eyes as well. "I missed you so much." The girl admitted quietly.

"I'm sorry." Kyoko whispered. "I'm so sorry that…"

"MO!" Kanae shook her friend gently. "It wasn't your fault. None of it was your fault. So don't be sorry."

Kyoko's eyes suddenly grew bright. "You wanted to see me! You really are my best friend!"

Kanae smirked and rolled her eyes. 'There's my Kyoko. Even though she looks different, it's still her.' "I'm not the only one." She said with a laugh and she grabbed her bag and brushed past her friend. Kyoko found herself face to chest with Yashiro. Looking up, she smiled, happily if a bit confused.

"Hello Kyoko."

"Hello Yashiro-san." She let him pull her into a light hug and watched as he also brushed past her and followed her friend inside. 'Are they just going to leave me out…' Suddenly she saw the person her best friend had really been referring to.

Ren told Yashiro and Kanae to go ahead to the house. He didn't want to interrupt Kyoko and Kanae's reunion, and he didn't want Yashiro to interrupt his own reunion with her.

When he heard Yashiro greet her, he figured that it was safe to round the corner and greet her himself. As he did, he suddenly stopped short. She was looking at him in shock, but he figured that he looked the same. 'Her hair…it's so…different. And with green eyes…she hardly looks Japanese. But…. it's still her. She's so beautiful, no matter how she looks.' Forcing his throat to work, he smiled and resumed walking toward her. "Hello Kyoko." He said softly.

'He's coming toward me…I'm not ready! I'm not ready to face him! We've gotten closer over the phone and…almost like friends. Is that what he really thinks of me as? The sight of him here, now, makes my heart race. I'm scared…but I'm so happy to see him.' She saw the happy smile on his face and she made a decision. 'Screw it.'

Without thinking, Kyoko took three giant steps and threw herself into his arms. He caught her easily and held her, resting his forehead on the top of her head, and breathing in her scent. "I missed you so much." She whispered into his shirt, ashamed to realize that she was crying again. She felt herself shaking and his arms tightening around her. Taking a deep breath, her nose was flooded with his scent. 'Safe. I always feel so safe in his arms.'

'I feel like I'm dreaming.' "I missed you too." He told her softly, running his hands over her back in circles to calm her. "Don't cry. It's okay." He pulled back a little. "You look different." He smiled a little, trying to lighten the mood.

She laughed and wiped away the tears. "Sorry." She stepped away, suddenly self conscious, but found herself still trapped in his arms. Blushing deeply, she forced herself to stay on topic. "Um…I redyed my hair and I didn't think about it when I put the contacts in. I was just going to wear them when I was working but I put them in just in case and I…" She trailed off when he started chuckling, and her heart was beating too loudly for her to hear herself think.

"It's not a bad thing. I think you look pretty."

"Um…thanks. I'm going to go back to my old look when I go back." She mumbled. He released her, realizing that he was making her uncomfortable, and a small part of her whined at the loss of his arms. 'STOP THAT!' She scolded herself furiously.

"So are we going inside? Or did you want to stand out here all day?" She blushed again and spun around.

"Of…of course. Come on in."

Kuu and Julie were chatting with Kanae and Yashiro, and Jack had been called to show them where to put their things. Kanae was in a bedroom next to Kyoko, Yashiro was across the hall from Kanae, and Ren was across the hall from Kyoko. 'That is rather convenient.' He thought with a smile. Kuu looked up from giving Jack instructions and gave Ren a small smile. "Hello, Tsuruga-san."

Yashiro watched as the two greeted one another. 'This must be so hard for him.' He thought sadly. 'I guess he doesn't want Kanae or Kyoko to realize who he is, but he must be so happy to see his family.' He caught the sad look in Julie's eyes and felt his own heart clench. 'She can't even say hello to her son.' Grabbing his own bag, he turned to the girls. "Kyoko, can you show Kanae and I where to put our stuff?" He wondered. Jack looked over in confusion.

'The man must not speak English very well…though I thought Kuu translated for him.'

"Sure." Kyoko cocked her head and smile. She turned and led Kanae up the stairs. Before Ren could speak up, Yashiro grabbed his bag.

"I got it, Ren. We'll be right back." The three hurried up the stairs, leaving Ren alone with his parents.

"Kuon." Julie whispered, throwing her arms around him, and was quickly followed by Kuu. Kuon held his mother and rocked them back and forth gently, then leaned into his father's arms.

"I missed you both so much." He whispered, and let himself relax for a second. "I'm so sorry Mom. I'm so sorry."

"Baby, this wasn't your fault." She squeezed her large son tightly. Kuu pulled his son away.

"My turn." He mumbled. "It's not fair that I keep having to pretend not to know you."

Kuon laughed and pulled away. "Thank you." He looked at both of them. "Thank you so much for taking her in."

"Are you kidding? Kuon if you don't marry the girl, she's going to be your sister!" Kuu waned, and Kuon knew that his father was only half kidding. They heard footsteps upstairs, and Ren smiled.

"I understand. I'd better go put my things away."

"How long are you staying?" Julie wanted to know.

"Until Wednesday morning."

* * *

><p>Ren entered the guest room and found Yashiro setting his bag on the bed. His manager looked up. "Here you go, though I'm not sure what you packed in here. It feels like bricks." He stretched his shoulder. "This will be a nice vacation. Maybe we should go to the beach later. I don't think I've ever been when I wasn't working." He walked past Ren, who reached out and grabbed his shoulder.<p>

"Thanks Yukihito."

"No problem, Kuon."

* * *

><p>Sebastian crossed his arms. "Why did you send Ren and Yashiro as well?" He wondered. The President was doing paperwork and glanced up at his aid. "Kanae could have gone by herself. You know that. And Ren is busy."<p>

"Sebastian." Lory laughed a little and turned to face his friend. "He missed her. That was a good enough reason for me."

* * *

><p>Kuu and Julie were gone when the four went downstairs. A note on the kitchen table told them that the couple would be back later that night. Kyoko set the note back on the table and turned. "Are you hungry?" She asked her guests, all of who shook their heads.<p>

"The President serves three course meals on his private jet." Kanae grumbled. "I'd rather go for a jog." Ren chucked and nodded his agreement.

"Yashiro, you mentioned wanting to go to the beach." Ren pointed out and Kyoko smiled.

"That sounds fun. I haven't been to the beach yet."

Kanae shrugged. "Sounds like fun. I didn't pack a suit though."

"Um…Mother said that I can use her suits any time I want. I guess it would be okay if we borrowed some. Ren, Yashiro-san, do you have swim suits?"

"I have several…but I didn't bring any." He said with a smile, and Yashiro nodded.

Kyoko led her friends into the pool area and showed the men where to find their suits. Ren and Yashiro entered into the men's dressing area and Ren immediately began digging through the suits, showing them to Yashiro as he discarded them.

In the women's dressing area, Kanae showed Kyoko suit after suit. "Kyoko! Why can't you just pick one!"

"They're all bikini's Moko-san! I can't wear a bikini in front of…. them!"

"You mean in front of Ren?"

"Moko-san!"

Kanae laughed. "What? That's what's the matter, right? You like him!" She taunted, and Kyoko turned beet red. "Here." She shoved a small suit into the girl's hands. "Just deal with it. They'll be waiting for us."

Ren and Yukihito pulled shirts on and waited for the girls to finish. "Where is the closest beach?" Yashiro wondered.

"Hmm. About half a mile that way." He pointed and Yashiro laughed.

"So is it…" He stopped when the girls emerged from the dressing room. Both girls wore bathing suit cover dresses with flip-flops.

Ren caught his breath and bit his lip. 'She is so…beautiful. But I wonder what she has on under that cover-up.'

Yashiro's eyes widened and he hurried to look away so no one would notice his blush. 'She is so…beautiful. But I wonder what she…NO! No no no!'

* * *

><p>It was a bright, sunny day as the four walked to the beach with Ren leading. Kyoko walked beside Kanae behind the two men, talking quietly. There were only a few people on the beach, and Kyoko pulled four large towels out of the bag she was carrying, and Ren helped her lay them out as Yukihito and Kanae pulled out the sunscreen. Kanae pulled the cover up off and revealed her rather small red bikini. Yukihito watched with a dry mouth as she began to lather herself with sunscreen. 'This is just not fair.'<p>

Ren grabbed the bottle of sunscreen and Kyoko pulled out a large umbrella from her bag. 'What all does she have in there?' Ren wondered as he covered his arms in the lotion. She slipped the dress off and Ren paused to admire her tiny frame and the revealing bikini with little rings between her breasts, at her hips, and in the back. She sat on her knees and lay facedown on her towel. Smiling, Ren squirted a handful of lotion into his hand and knelt beside her. Her eyes were closed, but they flew open when she felt something cold on her back. Squeaking, she craned her neck and blushed.

"You'll get sunburned if you don't put lotion on. And you can't reach your back." He smiled innocently.

"Uh…but…um…what about you?" She mumbled with a blush.

He smirked, making her blush brighten. "Then you can help me."

Kanae looked over to where Ren and Kyoko were slathering each other with sunscreen. 'Idiots.' She closed her eyes, then realized that Yashiro was also watching. Smirking at the look on his face, she got an idea. 'It won't hurt to tease him a bit.' "Well, are you going to help me?"

Blushing, Yashiro turned to her. "Ex..excuse me?"

"I can't reach my back."

'Oh dear God…'

**A/N: So I guess this is kind of short, but there will be more soon. I hope you enjoyed it. Please let me know what you thought of it. **


	15. Shoots

Chapter 15: Shoots

**A/N: So as one of my reviewers pointed out, the other draft of this chapter sucked (my words, the reviewer was actually very nice and pointed out that it seemed forced (thank you! You know who you are)…and they were right) So I'm very sorry for putting out a bad chapter that I didn't really plan well. From now on, I'll be more careful about the planning. Let me know if you think this is better. Kind of embarrassed actually...**

Lory looked over the papers on his desk. 'No matter what I do, this is going to take a long time. It might just be better to wait until she turns 18…but wouldn't it be better if she had a legal guardian other than her mother?' He dropped his head on the desk. 'This is completely ridiculous. I have gotten no work done…and this doesn't seem to be going anywhere.' He drummed his fingers for a moment. "What do you think, Jethro?"

The camel looked up from his food briefly.

"Yea. Me too."

* * *

><p>Kanae and Kyoko sat on their blankets as Ren and Yashiro went to get drinks. They had spent the last few hours alternating between their blankets and the water and they were both thirsty, so when Ren had offered to get them drinks, they had both eagerly accepted. "So you've been here for three weeks and you haven't been to the beach yet?" Kanae wondered.<p>

"Yea…I've been busy with the auditions and preparing for the commercial…and going to the stupid club with Will, that I haven't really thought about going to the beach."

"Wait…what? What club? And who is Will?"

'Oh crap. I forgot to tell her about all that…but Ren was so worried and Father was so upset…I didn't really want to tell her.' Kanae was glaring at her. 'She's my best friend. And if I don't tell her now, she'll be angry and she won't want to be best friends anymore!' "Um…Will is related to Jack, Father's butler. I needed to know what it was like to be in a club for my CM filming and…I asked him to take me to a club."

"…Oh." She gave Kyoko a strange look. "How did that go?" 'And how does this play into the whole Kyoko/Ren thing?'

"It went badly." They looked up and found Ren and Yashiro with bottles of water and soda. Kyoko and Kanae both took waters and left the soda for the men. Ren looked grim but didn't elaborate. Kyoko only stared at the ground, playing with the cap on her water bottle. Yashiro looked between the three and frowned.

"Badly?" He asked. "What do you mean?"

"It's not important." Kyoko insisted suddenly. "I'm more worried about the modeling on Monday. The filming went fine." She said softly.

"Yes. It's not important. Kyoko just learned that it's dangerous to go to a club with someone she doesn't know."

Kanae and Yashiro stared at Kyoko with wide eyes, and Kyoko wondered at Ren's tone. He had sounded…angry? 'But he was so worried. Why would he be angry?'

"By the way, will we get to meet Will?" He asked with a bright smile.

'Not if you keep smiling like that…you'll scare him away.' "Um…maybe. I don't actually know if I'll see him.."

"Wait a minute!" Kanae cried. "What happened?"

"Nothing!" Kyoko insisted. "It's not important." She gave Kanae a pleading look and Kanae relented.

'You will tell me later' her eyes informed Kyoko, who could only nod in silent agreement.

Yashiro frowned but decided to try and get it out of Ren later.

* * *

><p>They spent most of the day at the beach, either in the water or sitting on the hot sand. Afterwards, they went back to the house and changed into their regular clothes. "Do you want to go out to eat or do you want me to cook?" Kyoko asked when they all met in the kitchen.<p>

"Why don't we go out?" Yashiro suggested. "That way you won't have to cook. There must be some good places around here to eat."

Kyoko smiled guiltily. "Actually I don't know. I haven't been out to eat here before, unless you count a little café by Father's agency."

"Well then we can just walk until we find a place." Ren said simply.

'I think this guy has a place in mind.' Yashiro thought with a smile when Kanae and Kyoko both agreed.

* * *

><p>To Ren's credit, it was actually a very nice place. They were seated by an older waitress who did a good job of not staring at the handsome men she was assigned to take care of. After taking their drink orders, she disappeared to let them talk. "So Moko-san. What have you been doing? Do you have any new projects?" Ren and Yashiro sat back and let the girls talk for a while. Kanae was currently involved in two projects, both supporting roles in dramas. She told her friend a few stories about the filming, then decided to turn the tables.<p>

"What about you? You just signed a contract here. What are you going to do?"

"Well, I signed two." She reminded her friend. "One at an entertainment agency and one at a modeling agency. Since I just finished that CM, I'm not really sure what I am going to do. At LME, someone saw my work in the CM with you and wanted me for something else. One thing led to another until I got the part in Dark Moon, then Box R. I don't know if I should wait for someone to offer me a part like last time or audition for some more parts."

"I'd say audition." Kanae told her bluntly. "There's no point in waiting around for someone to hand you a part, though it seems to happen a lot in your case." The drinks were sat in front of them and they all ordered their food. Quietly, Ren and Yashiro informed the waitress that the two of them would split the bill.

"I agree with Kotonami-san." Ren spoke up. "You are going to be here for a while. When you are first starting out somewhere, it is best to build your reputation so that people notice you. Then you will reach the point where people are offering you parts." Yashiro nodded his agreement and Kyoko smiled.

"Okay. There might be something coming up that I can audition for."

"So what about the modeling? How did that go?"

"Um…I don't think they were all that impressed. I'm not really a model and I can't…"

"Mo Kyoko." Kanae groaned between bites. "What. Did. They. Say?"

"That if I complete the modeling shoot on Monday without any problems then they will accept me into their company." She told her friend. "That's all."

"Do you know anything about the shoot?" Yashiro asked her.

"Um…only that it is being held outside in a nearby park. Do they have outdoor shoots a lot?" She looked at Ren, who was sitting across from her.

"Not all that often in my experience, but it must be different for everyone. I mostly model for RMandy. Who are you modeling for?"

"They didn't really say much about it." She named the company.

"I've never heard of them." Ren said thoughtfully. "Does Kuu's agency have a modeling department?" He asked suddenly.

"Um…I think so." She cocked her head. "I'm not really sure, but they might."

"Then why don't you audition for them? It would make it easier to manage your schedule if your modeling and acting contract were with the same company." He suggested.

"Well…what if I do well on the shoot Monday?"

"You haven't signed with them. Just let them know that you would like to keep your options open." She smiled.

"Is that okay?"

"Why not?" He shrugged and she nodded.

"Okay. I'll think about it. Thank you."

* * *

><p>Ren borrowed one of his father's cars to take Kyoko to her shot on Monday. At both Ren and Yashiro's insistence, Kyoko sat in the passenger's seats next to him. Nervously she picked at a loose thread on her skirt until Ren placed his hand over hers. "You are going to rip a hole in your skirt if you don't stop." He said gently, in a voice that the passengers in the back seat couldn't hear. "Why are you nervous?"<p>

"What if they don't like me? What if I mess up?"

Ren was silent for a second. 'Even though she knows that she might audition for Kuu's agency instead, she's still so worried about doing badly.' He glanced at her as she stared at the loose thread in her skirt. 'They are idiots if they don't love her.' "Remember what we did yesterday?" He asked instead.

She smiled a little. After fixing her family and friends breakfast, she introduced Ren, Yukihito, and Kanae to Rosa. Everyone, especially Ren, had been more than impressed, and he had spent about an hour interacting with this new person, trying to figure her out, and even gave her some tips about modeling, correcting her stances and expressions with the authority of a professional model. He found that Rosa was as quick of a learner as Kyoko, as less apt to freak out if he got a little too close or threw in a bit of flirting.

'I wonder if Rosa is who Kyoko would be if she was more…mature? Or if Fuwa hadn't hurt her. ' "Would Rosa be nervous about a little modeling?" He asked, the challenge in his voice blatantly obvious.

Rosa gave him a cool, tolerant smile. "Of course I'm not nervous." She told him in English. He smiled.

'Rosa is sort of like 'Ren Tsuruga, maybe not quite as friendly, a little less approachable. That's not really a bad thing. It might keep the interested men away from her…except maybe this 'Will' guy, who I would like very much to meet.' He took a deep breath to make sure his temper doesn't show. 'Don't think about _that guy_. Not now..'

Ren parked across the street from the park. When he opened Kyoko's door, Rosa gave him a small smile. When Yashiro tired the same thing with Kanae, she gave him an incredulous glare and shoved past him, hurrying to claim her place beside Kyoko, forcing the two men to trail behind.

When they approached the set, they noticed several tents clustered beside some trees, cameras and lighting equipment sitting around on tables and on tarps, and people running back and forth around the set. One man, a tall, willowy blonde, looked over and, excusing himself from his conversation, walked over to where they stood. "Can I help you?"

Rosa took one look at the man and switched to a slightly more genuine smile. Holding out her hand, she shook his. "I'm Rosa, the new model. It's nice to meet you."

The man smiled as well. "I'm Alex. I'm the head photographer." He looked over at the other three. "Um…are you all models?" He asked nervously. 'I thought there was only one model I didn't know…"

"Forgive me." Rosa said with a small smile and stepped to the side. "These are my friends. Kanae, Yukihito, and Ren." She motioned to each, and the man noticed how the tallest smiled when the girl said his name.

'Her…boyfriend?' "Well, let's get you into makeup and wardrobe." He led her over to the tents.

Kanae stood next to Ren. "Do you think she'll be able to do this?" Kanae asked quietly.

"I think it depends on what the photographer wants." He said in soft Japanese, so that they would not be overheard and so that she could understand.

"Kyoko has trouble portraying certain emotions on demand, specifically love. But she also has the scary ability to totally become whoever she is acting. Since she is Rosa, who was not, to my knowledge, ever scarred by love."

When Rosa appeared, Ren clenched his fists. 'I cannot run over and kiss her, nor can I punch all the men who are staring at her…that's right Yukihito, you'd better stop staring at her.' Kyoko was dressed in a casual sundress with thin straps and a sash at her waist. Her sandals matched the dress, and her make up was light, playing up here bright eyes. Her brown hair was pulled in a pony tail, making her look like a 'girl next door.' Kanae smiled a little.

'He's jealous. I don't blame him. She always looks so good…I envy her myself.'

Alex called everyone to the set and Ren, Yukihito, and Kanae all went to the sidelines, careful not to get in the way. "Okay. So I will call you up one by one or in pairs. I need quiet on the set so that everyone can hear. Also, please make sure to turn off your phones. I'll give you further instruction when you come up. We are putting together an advertisement for a company that sells casual, outdoor clothing. So keep that in mind. Everyone understand?" They all nodded and he called the first pair up.

Rosa waited quietly on the side, watching the groups, pairs, and single models follow the directions of the photographer. "Okay, Rosa, Samuel." He called, and Rosa made her way up to the set and stood next to a man wearing a pair of acid washed jeans and a tight black top. He wore a light, open jacket over top and had on about three bracelets on one wrist. Looking her over, he gave a small smile, which she returned.

"Nice to meet you." He said softly.

"Nice to meet you." She looked at him briefly.

"Okay. I want you two to be a young couple out for a walk in the park. Understand?" They nodded, but Kyoko felt fear grip her hears.

'Couple? As in dating couple? As in, dating couple in love? I can't…' Samuel took her arm as the photographer told them to begin. He smiled softly at her, and she wanted to pull away. Instead, she let him lead her down the path toward some trees and a large swing. When he put his arms around her, she was stiff and he squeezed her shoulder.

"What's wrong?" He asked softly. Before she could respond, the photographer stood up and put the camera down.

"Stop!" He called. "Rosa, you're too stiff. Just pretend he is your boyfriend." She blushed brightly and stiffened more. The director frowned and was about to say something when Ren suddenly stepped forward and whispered in the photographer's ear. The man shook his head and looked over at Ren with a confused expression. Ren said something else with a firm expression and the photographer shrugged. "Everyone, take 15." Ren approached Kyoko, who was now standing alone with her hands clasped in front of her.

As he came closer, he could see that she was biting her lip and sniffling. He put his arms around her and held her close. She stiffened and started to back away, but he leaned over. "No. Relax. I'm going to help, but you have to relax."

She shook her head. "I can't do it."

"Yes you can just calm down." She took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay, you're thinking too much. He told you to act like a couple. Do you know how a couple acts?"

"They…kiss?"

He chuckled. "Well yes. They do. But I was talking about how they act when they go out. How they act around each other."

"Um…then no."

He pulled away, taking her hand, and motioned with he head. "Come on." She followed him. "They are like friends, and they enjoy being close." He pulled her next to him, letting go of her hand, and putting it around her shoulder. She stiffened a little. "No. Relax. What's wrong with me doing this?" He asked softly as they wandered toward the trees.

"People…will think that we…we are together." She whispered.

"So? I'm helping you. Are you even going to pay attention?"

"Yes! I'm sorry." She leaned against him, trying to placate him. He smiled again and resumed walking.

"All you need to do is pretend that you are with someone that you enjoy being with. Even if you don't know the guy, you pretend that he is someone else." She nodded as he pulled her over to the swing. He sat down and pulled her gently down with him, wrapping his arm around her and she leaned against him, feeling her heart race.

'This….is really dangerous.' Ren kicked off and they began to swing back and forth. 'Whenever he is close like this, I can't get into character, and the locks on my heart that keep me safe from him start to fall.'

"See." He said softly, causing her to look up at him. "This is easy, right?" He asked with a smile that she couldn't help but return. She nodded shyly and his heart nearly burst. 'She is so beautiful. I wish that we could really do this. Go out, be near each other, all without her acting or freaking out.

Standing, he turned and took her hands, pulling her up with him. They continued walking toward a tree with low branches that splayed out. Smirking, he put his hands around her waist and lifted her, making her squeak. Carefully, he sat her on one of the branches and let go, but kept his hands near by to keep her from falling. She laughed. "What are you doing?"

"Joining you." He turned around and placed his hands on the tree, pulling himself up beside her. "See. Couples like to sit together. They like to play with one another, and tease each other." He ruffled her hair and she pushed him away.

"Stop!" She cried, trying to stop herself from laughing at the teasing expression on his face. He tried again, and this time she jerked back. Forgetting that she was sitting on a tree limb, she screamed as she started to fall back. He leaned over to grab her, but lost his balance as well. He wrapped his arms around her and twisted to make sure that he didn't land on her. She clutched his shirt and squeaked when they landed. She lifted her head and looked down at him. "I'm sorry! Are you okay?" He was laughing breathlessly.

"I'm fine. You?" She nodded and relaxed a little when he began to rub her back. 'This is so nice. Ren always makes me feel so safe. Being in his arms is nice…NO! Stop that! I can't let my guard down like this. He's dangerous.'

She gently pushed herself off and Ren had to fight every instinct so as not to pull her back to him. He sat up when she stood. Looking up, he smiled at the hand she was holding out for him. He took it and pulled himself off the ground, nearly pulling her into him. They both laughed as they headed back to the set, ignoring all the surprised and/or envious looks.

"So he's her boyfriend."

"She's so pretty. It's no wonder that they are dating."

"I heard him speaking a different language to her other friends. They must be from the same country."

"Too bad. Looks like she's taken."

Ren smirked at the last one. 'That's right. She's taken. So stay away.' He glanced down at Kyoko's red face and put his arm around her, giving her a fond smile. Peeking up, he saw a few guys sigh and turn away. The ones who didn't were suddenly introduced to Cain Heel.

When the photographer came back to the set, Ren squeezed Kyoko's hand one more time and made his way back over to where Kanae and Yukihito were standing. "Ready?" Alex wondered.

Kyoko nodded. This time, when Samuel put his arm around her, she giggled a little and gave him a sweet smile.

'Whoa…who is this?' She pulled him a little and led the entranced man to the swing. 'So cute.' She pulled away and sat on the swing by herself, her expression begging him to join her. He obliged happily, tilting his head a little and leaning into her. 'She smells good too.'

When they had sat for a minute or so, Kyoko stood suddenly and pulled him up with her. He caught himself and laughed a little, this time leading her to the large tree nearby. He reached out to pick her up and set her on the tree branch, but she pulled away and laughed. 'Okay. Fine. I'll just have to catch her.' She squeaked when she saw the playful expression on her face and started to run. In three large steps he caught her and picked her up, spinning her around. She squealed and laughed, throwing her head back and looking at him lovingly as she slowly sat her down. 'She's so beautiful. And so…innocent.' He pulled her closer and she blushed a little, leaning against him. 'It is such a change from the last time. I wonder what…oh gosh. Boyfriend. She's taken. How did I forget that?'

"Okay. Perfect!" Alex called with a huge smile. "Great job, Rosa!" 'She led that boy around like a lost puppy. I don't blame him. She was…enchanting.'

Yukihito and Kanae looked over at Ren and smirked. Suddenly their eyes met, smirks still in place. Kanae blushed a little and looked away. 'I guess I'm not their only supporter.' Yashiro thought with a little laugh.

* * *

><p>Alex lay the photographs on the table in front of the magazine editor. "Good." The woman said with a small nod of her head. "Perfect. Fanta…who's this?" She pointed to a brown haired girl with bright green eyes and a joyful smile.<p>

"Rosa. She's a new model. She might be signing a modeling contract soon."

"She should."

"She's an actress as well." He put in. She just signed a contract and completed a commercial for the 'Confidence' perfume."

"Hmm. That's interesting. Where is she from?"

"Judging from the accent, somewhere in Asia."

"China?"

"Um…I don't think so. Japan maybe. She was talking to her boyfriend in what I think is Japanese. She brought him and two of her friends with her to the shoot. At first she was…stiff. But after her boyfriend had a talk with her, she was perfect. Like a new person."

'An actress….'

* * *

><p>"Who is this girl?"<p>

The editor smiled at her friend and put her elbows on the desk between them. "A new model. From Japan. Her stage name is Rosa."

"So why are you showing me these pictures?" Her friend asked with a smile, resting the side of her head in her hands and holding a pen in the other.

"You said you were looking for a lead in your new drama." Her friend laughed.

"I don't hire models to play my leads." She smirked and handed the pictures back. "They are more trouble than they are worth."

"Well, what if I told you that she was an actress?" The woman raised an eyebrow when her friend handed her a manila folder. "Stage name here, Rosa. In Japan, they call her Kyouko. She's played in two dramas, um….Dark Moon and," she frowned at the pronunciation of the other. "Box R. She plays antagonists in both, but I think she has potential."

"Then why is she in America?"

"That's the good part!" She leaned in and her friend sighed and put away the paperwork she had been trying to finish. "Her agency fired her, apparently because of some legal issues with her mother."

"Meaning…"

"She's underage, and her mother doesn't want her acting."

"You want me to hire an underage illegal Japanese actress to play the lead in my drama?"

"She has a recommendation from Lory Takarada."

**A/N: Thoughts? Rants? Flames? (If it's the third ones, please don't share…constructive criticism is fine, meanness is not.) Thankfully, all of my reviews have been positive. Thank you guys so much for taking the time to read and review. (And to those of you who don't review but still read, you guys are awesome too!) Anyway, I liked this chapter a lot more than the first version. What do you guys think (If any of you read it.)**


	16. Decisions

**A/N: So, in my last chapter, I said 'drama.' I didn't think about how that could be taken (TV series/movie/etc.) So, I mean movie. Sorry for the confusion.**

**A/N: Thank you so much to Lady of the Hunt for all your help! You are amazing!**

**A/N: Just read Skip Beat Chapter 183…and since I have no idea if Franky House will ever be back (which makes me sad) I have no one to discuss it with! Ugh! Well, I thought it was good, though the ending…surprised me. Don't want to spoil it. PM me if you wanna discuss the chapter! Lol. I miss Franky House Forums so much…none of my friends like Skip Beat.**

Chapter 16: Decisions

Lory sat on his sofa with Maria on his lap. He had been trying all week to cheer his granddaughter up, but she had been depressed since Kyoko left. A program on the TV, which was currently set to an entertainment channel, caught his attention. "The director of Box R has still not chosen a replacement for the actress Kyoko, who played the antagonist, Natsu, since the young woman resigned from the show." The young woman informed her audience in a perky voice. Lory sighed and turned off the television when his granddaughter turned her face away from the screen.

"She's coming back, Maria." He assured her softly.

"Why did she leave?" He had already told the girl some of the story, but she didn't seem to want to believe him.

"Her mother made her." He reminded her. It was times like these that he realized just how young his granddaughter was. 'Kyoko did so much for her; it was like she became a new person after her mother's death. Now Kyoko's abandoned her in Maria's mind… even though I know how much Kyoko cares for her.'

"Why?" Her voice was miserable.

"I don't really know Maria." He lied, not allowing himself to feel guilty about it. 'Well I do, but…I don't want her to worry about her adopted sister.

"Why doesn't she call me? Doesn't she miss me?" She asked in a small voice. His heart clenched.

"I'm sure she does, sweetie." He pulled the girl to him, kissing her hair.

When an American woman had called him asking about Kyoko, he had been alarmed. However, after she had explained her intent and what she had managed to learn about the girl already, he had agreed to tell her a few things and gave her a recommendation.

'I hope she gets a part in this movie. It would be great for her career, especially when she comes back. She'll already have made a name for herself internationally. But we all miss her. Especially Maria.'

* * *

><p>As soon as they finished her shoot, Kyoko changed and joined her friends on the sidelines. Kanae was ginning widely, Yashiro had a surprised smile on his face, and Ren was looking at her proudly. "Perfect. Though I would have suggested more improvisation. But you managed to lead him throughout the entire shoot."<p>

"I wasn't leading him! He was just…going along with me." She insisted. "I'm sure he was just following me to make it look better."

Ren shook his head and Yashiro gave Kanae a knowing smile. "Kyo…" He glanced around. 'I can't blow her cover.' "Rosa, that was great. It was your first time modeling and you had him doing exactly what you wanted." He paused. "You **made** him act the way you wanted." She blushed, remembering her first time acting with Ren, and then his acting test as Katsuki.

'What is he implying? Surely he's not saying that I'm as good of an actor as he is…'

'She's going to be better than me. I know it. It won't be long now. I'll be the second best actor in Japan…and I can't wait to be the first to congratulate her when everyone sees how great she is.' He smirked. 'But I'm going to give her a run for her money first.'

* * *

><p>Later that day, Kyoko decided to give Ren, Yashiro, and Kanae a tour of her new agency before they headed back to Kuu's house. Kyoko gave Ren directions to the agency, which was only a few miles away from the park where they had done the modeling shoot, and though Ren already knew where his father worked, he let her. When they entered, Kyoko could tell that Yashiro-san and Kanae were not really impressed. She thought back to LME's impressive interior, the decorations that always seemed to be changing (often due to the work of the Love Me Department), and the President's eccentric outfits and role-playing. Kuu's (and now Kyoko's) agency was pretty standard, like any other office, and though it was nice, it seemed to lack originality or personality when compared to Lory's Majestic Entertainment.<p>

"Wow. It's really different from LME." Kanae pointed out bluntly. "I keep expecting the President to come around the corner in full military dress, riding a horse, and leading around an army of people who I'm not even sure work for him." Yashiro snickered and even Ren chuckled. Kyoko just nodded and looked down at the floor. "Hey. You get to come back soon." Kanae said softly, and Kyoko gave her a dry look. "Okay, seven, eight months? About? That's not so long! And just think, you don't have to wear a pink jumpsuit at any point in the near future. I have to wear one on Thursday." Kyoko laughed, but the pain didn't go away.

After showing them the office of her department head, Jeremy, complete with the man himself (on the phone of course), the small café tucked away in a corner of the building, and the office where she and the other new talents were given access to office supplies, computers, and small work spaces, Kyoko decided to show them the Acting school. "It's sort of like LME, and they have several sections."

"Did you want to enroll in the acting section?" Yashiro wondered as they paused in one of the empty classrooms. Ren picked up a book on acting on a desk and thumbed through it. Kanae walked over to him, trying to read over his hand. He lowered the book so that she could see, but she gave up after trying to translate in her head.

"I'm not sure. I don't think I can afford it." Kyoko said quietly.

"Aren't you still enrolled in LME's?" Kanae asked, leaving Ren to his book.

"No. The President had to cancel my enrollment." She mumbled. "I probably won't be able to afford it when I get back either."

"I'm sure the Hizuri's would help you." Kanae told her softly.

"NO! I could never ask them for help. It's bad enough that I am relying on them so much!"

"You're never going to get it are you?" The three turned to Ren who had set the book back on the desk. His eyes were sad, but his voice was bordering on hard. "They do so much for you Kyoko. They take you in. They buy you clothes and food and help you get a job. They give you a place to stay and insist that they are your parents." He walked over to the girl who was staring at the floor, biting her lip. "Do you know how devastated they would be if they could hear you?" He put a hand on her arm and another under her chin, tilting her head up so that she was forced to look at him. "They are your parents." He told her firmly. "That means that no matter what you do, no matter how much you mess up," his eyes were filled with pain and Kyoko wondered briefly if he weren't talking to himself as well. "No matter how much money you cost them, no matter how much you need their help, they will still love you."

She tried to look back down at the floor, but he squeezed her arm gently. "I know that you have never had parents. But they are trying so hard to show you what it means. Why don't you let them?" She nodded a little and he squeezed her arm again and let go.

As they left the classroom, Kyoko was about to show them the ballet classes when she nearly ran into someone. "Oh. I'm sorr..oh." 'Of course I would meet you here. You show up everywhere.'

"Hey Rosa." Will's smile was bright and cheery, forcing Kyoko to smile a little in return.

"Hello Will." She suddenly remembered her friends and fought not to flinch at Ren's lying evil gentlemanly smile. 'And cue the blooming flowers…can't Will see them?' "These are my friends."

"Ah. From Japan?"

"Yes. This is my best friend, Mo…Kanae Kotonami." The black haired woman offered him a cold smile. Kyoko had told her the whole story about the club last night, and Kanae had a few choice words for the boy standing in front of her.

"It's very nice to meet you." She said in accented English.

"It's nice to meet you as well." He shook her hand shook it.

"And this is Yukihito Yashiro." The tall light haired man stepped forward with an icy smile. The night before, Yukihito had gone into Ren's room and asked for the story behind his cryptic comment earlier, and Ren had willingly told him everything. Yukihito had been furious. He thought of Kyoko as something like a little sister, and the thought of someone taking her out and then abandoning her and letting something like this happen to her made his blood boil. Will suddenly found himself surrounded by a cold wind.

'Wait…did it just get colder? Where is that wind coming from…oh wow. If looks could kill. It's like I can't even move.'

"It's nice to meet you." Yukihito shook the boy's hand.

"Um…likewise." Will managed.

Kyoko looked worriedly at the suddenly intimidating manager. She laughed nervously. "Hehe. And uh…this is Ren Tsuruga."

'At least this one is smiling…though the flowers are a little creepy. I'm not even sure how he's doing that.'

"It's a pleasure to meet you Will."

Will smiled and looked up into the man's eyes as they shook hands. In his peripheral vision, he could see Kyoko glaring at her other friends. "It's nice to meet you too." Will started to go on when the giant's eyes narrowed and the room seemed to shrink. 'Wait! Where did the flowers go! This guy looks like he wants to murder me!'

Cain Heel disappeared as Kyoko turned around, and his face relaxed into his usual smile. 'I think he got it.' Was Cain's last thought as he left. Ren smiled at Kyoko, reassuring her. She looked from the now pale boy to him suspiciously. Finally, having no proof of Ren's guilt, she touched Will's shoulder.

"Um…are you okay?"

"Uh yea…" He stepped away from the three. "They obviously hate me…and I think her boyfriend might kill me…'

"Well, it was very nice to meet you, Will, but we have dinner reservations in an hour, and we need to go get ready. Have a nice day." The flowers appeared once again around Ren's face as he spoke to the boy.

"Yea you too." He waved and seemed to disappear into thin air.

'Ren did something to him. I just don't have any proof…' Kyoko shook her head as she trailed behind him, and they made their way out to the car.

Ren hadn't been lying about dinner reservations. He just hadn't bothered to tell anyone else beforehand. He drove them back to the Hizuri's home and instructed everyone to dress in their best. Yashiro and Ren came down in suits to find Kanae in a long red dress with her hair pulled into a bun, leaning against the sofa. Yashiro caught his breath and even Ren had to admit that he was impressed. 'She is certainly a conventional beauty…. but she's no Kyoko." He caught sight of the green-eyed girl coming out of the kitchen, bottle of water in hand. As she took a sip, Ren took in her appearance. Her brown hair was pulled up in a twist that he didn't know the name of, but he couldn't help imagining releasing the clip and watching it fall down her bare back. A collar around her neck and nothing else held up her black dress, leaving her shoulders and arms bare. The hem came to her knees, but with a low cut back, he had a feeling that she was revealing more skin that she was covering.

Kyoko pretended not to notice Ren's intense stare. 'I'll bet he's thinking how inappropriate this is! But this is the nicest dress that Julie got me, and I think it looks good. Oh I wish it were longer and covered more like Moko's! Why do I have to wear the short one! And these heels are really high! I know I can walk in them but….will he think that I'm dressed like a…' she grimaced at the word. 'a slut? I hope not. I'm sure that he's upset that I'm showing so much skin! I hope he isn't disgusted with me.'

The restaurant was obviously five-star, and the waiters and waitresses regarded them with cool professionalism. They were shown to a table in the back and the girls took one side and the men sat across from them. Kyoko couldn't stop craning her neck, trying to see everything. 'Ever since I cam to America, I keep going to these fancy, expensive places.' She watched the people at the other table, a man in a suit and a woman in an evening gown, as they talked. 'I wonder if they are royalty. I'll bet they are the prince and princess of some faraway country.'

Kanae looked up from her menu and was momentarily blinded by Ren's face. 'Wow. I wonder if he knows how bright that smile is. Even my heat skips a beat when he does that, and I just tolerate the guy because of Kyoko. What is he smiling about any…oh.' She shook her head. 'Wow.' She looked over at the couple next to them. 'I bet she thinks that woman is a princess. Yep. Just look in her eyes. Is that a castle? How does she do this? And why is she carrying a wand? Is she…imagining herself as a fairy princess.' She rolled her eyes and elbowed Kyoko sharply, earning a squeak from the girl and a frown from the man across from them. "Mo Kyoko! We're in public. You're so weird! Stop it." She whispered harshly, and then turned back to her menu. "What are you getting?"

Looking up, she met Ren's glare with one of her own and huffed in annoyance when he only rolled his eyes and smirked.

"Um…the salmon I think. What about you Moko-san?"

"Probably the salad."

"Moko-san, you have to eat more than salad." Kyoko looked at her disapprovingly.

"Mo! All I want is the salad!"

"But Moko-san! You have to take care of your body! You're an actress!"

"Does she do this to you too?" Ren asked in an amused voice, and Kyoko glared at him.

"MO! Yes! I don't know how you can stand…" She looked over at Kyoko, who's eyes were the size of saucers and full of tears. She dropped her head into her hands. "Mo Kyoko, stop looking at me like that!"

"I was just worried about you Moko-san." She said in a hurt voice.

"I know. And we appreciate it. Right Tsuruga?"

"Of course." Kyoko looked up at him in surprise. "It makes me happy that you care about me." She blushed at the easy way he said it and Kanae rolled her eyes. She looked up at Yashiro-san and met his amused look with one of her own.

Before they ordered, Kyoko excused herself to the bathroom, and Kanae opted to go with her. 'Anything is better than sitting alone with those two.' When she joined Kyoko, she was surprised to see the girl staring at herself in the mirror, her eyes wide and scared. "What is the matter with you?"

"This dress!"

"What's wrong with it? You look good." She checked it over; making sure it wasn't ripped or stained. "It's new isn't it?"

"Yes but…Moko-san! I look like…a stripper." She whispered, and Kanae laughed.

"Hardly. You look like a pretty young woman out to dinner at a nice restaurant, which you are. Besides, a stripper would, at some point, begin to take her clothes off. Was that in your plans?" Kyoko blushed.

"Of course not!" She denied vehemently, shaking her head back and forth violently.

"Okay then." Kanae went into the stall. When she came out, Kyoko was still staring at herself. "What now?" She began to wash her hands.

"Ren…must be so disgusted with me! He keeps looking at me so strangely!"

Kanae dried her hands and rolled her eyes. As she turned the door handle she turned back to Kyoko with an evil smile. "No. He's not disgusted with you. He's imagining having sex with you."

* * *

><p>Ren and Yashiro jumped when they heard a shriek coming from the bathroom. Turning, they saw Kanae walking toward them with an amused expression on her face. "Is Kyoko okay?" Ren asked once she sat back down.<p>

"She's fine. She'll be out soon." She gave a firm, secretive smile, and neither man was willing to question her further. Kyoko came out a few minutes later and sat down next to Kanae who was sipping her water. Every once in a while, Kyoko would give her friend a glare, all of which were ignored.

"Is everything okay, Kyoko?" Ren finally asked. The girl blushed brightly and bit her lip.

'I can't believe Moko said that! How could she! It's so embarrassing!' I'm fine." She insisted. Ren only shrugged and nodded.

'Whatever it is, I guess it's between Kyoko and Kanae.'

When the food came and they had all begun eating, Ren paused and looked up at Kyoko. "Have you given any thought to where you would like to model?"

She frowned at her food. "I'm not really sure. The shoot went…. well. But…" She peeked up at Ren. "I love acting." She said softly, and he have her a soft smile and nodded. "I love it more than anything I've ever done. But I'm not sure that I love modeling." She winced and looked down at her food, sure that he would be angry. "It was fun, but I'm not sure that I want to do it as a career. I'm afraid that it will interfere with acting. I'm not saying that I'm going to get a lot of jobs or become popular but…" She stopped suddenly when she felt his hand on hers. Suddenly she forgot about Kanae and Yukihito and stared at Ren, a soft blush coloring her cheeks.

"I understand." He said quietly. "I didn't start modeling until I had been acting for a while, and though I like it, it comes second to acting. And if you would rather not do both, that's fine." She nodded and thought about pulling her hand away.

'But I don't want to hurt him…oh well. It's fine. It isn't really uncomfortable…just strange. Though I wonder why Yashiro-san looks so happy…' Kanae's words came back to her suddenly as he stared at her. 'He's imagining…' She mentally shoved the thought away.

* * *

><p>When they arrived back at Kuu and Julie's house, they found the place empty. Kyoko wondered over to the kitchen, looking for a note, and, finding none, she turned to the others. "I guess they had work. It's only 7:30…and I didn't get their schedules." She thought about calling but decided not to bother them.<p>

"What time do they usually get back?" Kanae wondered

"Um…5 or 6 on a good day." They joined the men who were sitting in the living room.

They decided to watch a movie, and Kyoko chose one of Kuu's old ones. Kyoko somehow ended up next to Ren on the loveseat, with Kanae and Yashiro on the sofa. Kyoko pulled her legs up and rested against a pillow on the arm of the couch, pulling a throw overtop of herself. A few minutes into the movie, she realized that her feet were resting against Ren's thigh and jerked in shock. She started to move her feet away when he placed his hand on her shin over the blanket. "You're fine." He said quietly enough so that only she could hear. She gave a tentative smile and relaxed.

'…imagining having….NO! STOP IT!'

About twenty minutes later, Kuu came in and, seeing everyone watching him on the screen, laughed a little. He walked over and, leaning over the back of the love seat, and kissed Kyoko on the forehead. "Hey sweetheart." He whispered. As he passed behind Ren, he touched his son on the shoulder, and then sat on the other side of the sofa from Yashiro and Kanae, who seemed to be sitting quite close and sharing a large blanket.

When Julie came in a half hour later, she followed in Kuu's footsteps, kissing her daughter, touching her son's back, and curling up next to her husband. Kyoko's eyes grew heavy as they reached the end of the movie, though it was only nearing 9 o'clock. 'It must be because I am lying down in a dark room. I'm so comfortable.' She realized that Ren had been gently running his hand over her calves, which, at some point, had come to rest on his legs. She glanced around the room, first at Ren sitting next to her, watching the movie with a mixture of interest and curiosity, then at Kanae and Yashiro, sitting under the blanket, whispering to each other occasionally, and finally at her parents, cuddling on the sofa, occasionally whispering or kissing one another. 'I feel, for the first time in my life, that I am really part of a family. Parents that love me. My sister and…' She laughed a little to herself, knowing how Kanae would react to this. '…Her boyfriend. I know he likes her. But…who would Ren be? My brother? No. That would be Corn. So who is Ren?'

Ren noticed Kyoko shaking a little and looked over to find her laughing quietly. Following her eyes, he looked over at Yashiro and Kanae and smirked. Looking back over at Kyoko, he found her looking at him with sleepy but speculative eyes. He smiled at her and she smiled softly back, closing her eyes and relaxing against the pillow. 'I'm so glad I came to see her.'

When the movie ended, Yashiro quietly excused himself to work on some paperwork and make some calls. Kanae told them that she was going to take a shower, and Kuu, Julie, Ren, and an unconscious Kyoko were left alone. "How did the shoot go?" Julie asked quietly.

"She was great." Ren informed his mother with a smile as Kuu took the movie out and put it away, turning off the TV so as not to disturb his sleeping daughter. "At first, she was having some trouble, but I believe the photographer was impressed. But I don't think she wants to model."

"What? Why not?"

"I think she wants to focus on her acting." Kuu nodded and sat next to his wife again.

"I can understand. Not to mention she won't be here that long." He sighed at the idea. "She probably wants to make a name for herself and get back home." He smiled at Kyoko. "She's becoming an amazing actress."

Kyoko awoke briefly, but kept her eyes closed. "She'll be better than me soon." 'Is that Ren? Who is he talking about? No one could be better than him!' She let herself drift back to sleep.

"I still haven't seen her act in person." Julie pouted.

"Well, you might be able to soon." Kuu said with a small smile, and Ren frowned in confusion but turned to Kyoko when she began stirring and whimpering in her sleep. He reached over and touched her shoulder, but she only curled up and settled back against her pillow.

"I'm going to put her to bed." Ren said softly. He gently lifted her feet from his lap and stood. Turning, he scooped her up, blanket and all, and smiled when she curled into him, sighing in contentment. He carried her up the stairs, walking as quietly as possible, pushed her door open, and lay her on the bed. Pulling the covers up, he turned out the lamp beside her bed and kissed her forehead. "Goodnight Kyoko." He whispered against her skin.

He was almost to the door when he heard her response. "Goodnight Ren." She mumbled into her pillow.

When he rejoined his parents in the living room, a small smile still on his lips, his mother looked impatient. "So, what do you know that we don't?" Kuon asked his father dryly.

"I got a call from the boss today. Said that some woman was calling, asking for information about a girl named Kyoko Mogami a few minutes ago. He was surprised, but she told him that her friend showed her some pictures of Kyoko modeling a few hours ago and had done some digging, and so she started researching. She's looking for a lead for her new movie that will start filming in a week or so. She hasn't found anyone she's satisfied with, and she thinks that, after watching an episode of Box R and one of Dark Moon, Kyoko might be able to act as her lead. Lory told her about Kyoko, or as much as he could, and the director sounded like she is willing to hire her despite the legal issues."

"So when is she going to contact Kyoko about an audition?" Ren wondered.

"Probably sometime this week. I didn't want to tell her because I don't want to get her hopes up, but I think she has a good chance."

"Did you get the director's name?"

"Maya Song."

* * *

><p>"Director Song, are you sure about this?" Maya's assistant was staring at the pictures her friend had dropped off. "I mean, she's a relatively new actress."<p>

The director hadn't told anyone about what she found when she was researching the girl, but she did let them know that she was new to America and that she had only been acting for just over a year. "Becks did a lot of research on her. She's a good actress."

"But what has she played in. I've never heard of her. I can't find anything on an actress named 'Rosa.' Is it a stage name?"

"I'm assuming so."

"So what's her real name?"

The director rolled her eyes and took her pictures back. "That's none of our business. Call her; ask her to come in Friday for an audition. Give her directions. Offer her a ride. Don't ask her about her past, her name, or even what she has acted in. I know all I need to know about her, and want her. Do whatever you have to in order to get her in here. Do you understand?"

Her assistant sighed and nodded. She knew that there was no point arguing with her boss. 'This is why she's such a good director even though she's only 24. She's too stubborn to ever quit.'

**A/N: Sorry it took a bit longer than I thought. Next chapter might take a while as well. It's Final's season! **


	17. Last Day

Chapter 17: Last Day

Kyoko opened her eyes and looked around. 'What happened? How did I get in my room? Weren't we watching a movie? I can't remember how it ended.' She sat up and looked at the clock. 5:52. 'Oh I'm up early.' She sat up and walked into the bathroom. She ran a brush through her hair and got ready, fishing out an outfit from her closet. 'This is their last full day here.' She frowned and looked at the floor. 'I have had so much fun with them here…I don't want them to leave me now.' She sighed and glared at herself in the mirror. "That's not fair." She told herself. "They were very kind to take time out of their schedules to come see me, especially Ren. I know they have work to get back to. I can't believe he took so many days off of work just to visit me." Her voice trailed off at the end. 'I remember him saying that someone would be better than him soon? Was he talking about me? And did he really kiss me last night?' She smiled softly. 'This feeling…I've never felt it before. I think…I think I'm actually falling for him. And I should be scared but…I like it." She clasped her hands and took a deep breath. 'I can never tell him. The thought of losing him is too unbearable. But, maybe I can…no. I can't do anything. Not now. Whether I like it or not, I live in America now, at least for the next few months, and Ren lives in Japan. I don't want to start anything now and then be separated for so long.'

She walked downstairs quietly and sat on the sofa. 'No one is up yet, but I think I went to sleep earlier than everyone else.' She walked around the living room, looking at pictures and movies. 'I still haven't heard from Corn…he must be busy wherever he is.' She heard footsteps and turned. Kanae was rubbing her eyes and gave her a tired smile.

"What are you doing up so early." Kyoko asked her friend.

The girl smiled. "I couldn't really sleep."

"I could." Both girls smiled a little. "How did the movie end?"

"Um…Kuu saved the day and ended up with the girl. How else?" Kyoko laughed.

"I should have guessed." She said with a shrug. "Are you hungry?"

"Haven't you eaten? How long have you been up?"

"Only about a half hour. I haven't eaten anything…I thought everyone would get up around the same time and I was going to make breakfast."

"I can wait. Why don't you show me around? I still haven't seen the whole place."

Kyoko smiled. "Actually neither have I. There are a lot of rooms I haven't been in."

"Really? So do you have a favorite room?"

"Um…I love my room." Kanae waited as she went through the rooms. "The library….oh. The pool. It's so warm in there, and it's nice to sit in there and relax or read."

"Hey. Why don't we go swimming?"

"Is that what you want to do? I haven't swam in the pool yet."

"Sure, if it's okay. It's good exercise and I'm going to need it after the breakfast you're going to make." Kyoko laughed a little and nodded.

"Okay. Let's go."

Kyoko let Kanae to the indoor pool, which Kanae had already seen. She and Kyoko searched through the swimsuits and settled on a white bikini for Kyoko and a black one for Kanae. Kanae slipped into the water and immediately began doing laps while Kyoko sat on the edge, letting her feet get adjusted to the water temperature.

* * *

><p>Waking up in his old house was…interesting to say the least. Waking up in the guest room of his old house was a shock. He threw the covers off and stretched. It was only about 6:40, but he couldn't sleep any later. For the last few weeks, he had been having trouble sleeping late, and he wondered briefly if having Kyoko in his bed would help. He smirked. 'I'll bet she would love that idea.'<p>

He changed quickly and walked across the hall. Knocking softly, he waited for a few minutes. When nothing happened, he opened the door a crack and peeked in. Her bed was made but he couldn't see anyone. "Kyoko?" He called. 'Hmm. I wonder where she is…'

* * *

><p>Kuu heard squealing as he walked down the hallway. He opened the door to the indoor pool and laughed at the sight of Kyoko and Kanae hitting an inflated ball back and forth. Both girls stopped and turned toward the man dressed in a suit. He smiled gently at them and walked over to the edge of the pool. Kneeling down, he waited for Kyoko to reach him. She pulled herself up and he easily lifted her to the edge of the pool, hugging her. "You're going to get your suit wet." She warned him, squirming away, but he just laughed and squeezed her again.<p>

"I'm going to work. I'll be done late tonight, so I wont be home until about 10 or 11. We're wrapping up the filming. Julie's going on location tonight, so she won't be home again for a week."

"Okay. Goodbye Father." She slipped back into the water and Kanae waved.

"Goodbye Kyoko. Bye Kanae."

Kuu found his son in the kitchen, looking around, looking lost. "She's in the pool with Kanae." He wrapped his arms around his son who hugged him, then pulled away and looked down at himself.

"You're wet." Kuon informed him with a wry smile.

"Yea. I noticed. I'm heading out. Tell your mother goodbye. She's won't be back for a week. I'll be back late tonight, so you're in charge." Kuu was smiling, but Kuon knew that he was also serious. "Watch out for the girls, okay?" Kuon nodded and left to go to the pool.

'Ever since the incident at the club, I can tell Kuu's been worried about her. I can't blame him. When he called me and told me about finding her in that club, limp and shaking, he sounded like he was near tears. He told me he rushed her to a hospital and made her stay in bed for most of the next day. She was fine but…I can only imagine how terrifying it was for him. If it had been me…' He closed his eyes and tried to change his train of thought. He didn't want to imagine finding her like that and the panic he would feel. 'He couldn't find the man that did it. She told him that it was a waiter, but there aren't any waiters in that club, or so Kuu found out. He said he saw a guy leaving in a hurry when he came in.'

Ren heard splashing and playful screaming and he smiled. He opened the door and stepped inside the warm room. Kyoko and Kanae had resumed their game of water volleyball and were laughing as they hit the ball back and forth. Suddenly Kyoko slipped sideways and hit the ball out of the pool, smacking the approaching man in the head. Kanae froze and put a hand over her open mouth. Kyoko emerged from under the water and found a wet Ren holding their ball. "Lose something?" He asked with a smile and walked over to the edge of the pool. Crouching down, Ren tossed her the ball.

"Sorry." She smiled sheepishly and pulled herself up onto the underwater ledge, bringing herself a few feet away from him. "And thank you."

"No problem. Are you girls going to swim all morning?"

"Um…we were waiting for everyone else to get up and I was going to make breakfast."

"Well, I'm up. Yukihito will probably be up soon."

"Oh. Okay. Well then I better make breakfast. I'm getting hungry anyway." She pulled herself out of the pool and Kanae used the ladder on the other side and padded over to join them. Ren grabbed a towel from the beach chair beside the pool and handed it to the girl who wrapped it snugly around herself.

"You two can get changed. I can get breakfast started if you like."

"Um…that's okay." Kyoko said sheepishly, remembering the only meal he had ever made her. "I'll hurry."

Ren laughed. "I'll set the table then." He walked away and left the girls to dry off.

Midway through breakfast preparations, Yukihito joined them and began to help Ren set the table. Kanae moved around the kitchen with Kyoko, proving that she was almost as adept as Kyoko in the kitchen.

"Do you cook for your family, Kanae?" Yukihito asked from the counter where he and Ren sat, drinking juice.

"Oh God forbid, no. I live by myself." She said with a frown, referring to the apartment she had recently begun renting. She had been thinking about asking Kyoko to room with her when the girl had left.

"Really? Why don't you live with your family? What about your parents?" Kyoko glanced up from the pot she was stirring with a frown.

"I can't stand my family. My parents are in…" She thought for a moment. "the Bahamas, I think. They'll be back in a few weeks…maybe."

"Oh. Is your family rich?" Yukihito wondered.

"No. Dirt poor. Because my parents had a hundred kids, who in turn had a hundred kids, and they all live together while my parents take trips they can't afford. Any other questions, Yukihito?" Kanae snapped. The man shook his head and took a drink. "Well what about you, Yukihito?"

"What about me?" He cocked his head.

"Do you still live with your family?"

He laughed a little. "No. I live alone. My father moved to Osaka after my mother died." Kanae paled.

"Oh. I'm sorry." She said softly.

"Don't worry about it. It was years ago. But I moved to Tokyo for high school and started working at LME as soon as I graduated. I don't go back too often."

Kyoko began spooning their breakfast onto plates. "I thought your parents were in the Philippines." She looked sideways at Kanae who snorted.

"That was last week. Next they're going to China."

"Where do they get the money?"

"My idiot siblings keep giving it to them. I'm the only one with a real job though. Idiot brothers." She mumbled, sitting down. "What about you Kyoko?" She asked suddenly. "Do you have any siblings? I've never asked."

"Um…I don't think so." She took a bite of her breakfast. "I have no idea who my biological father is, so he might have more children, but I don't think my mother does."

"And you, Ren?" Kanae looked at the man across from her friend. 'Why do we always sit like this?' She wondered briefly.

"Hmm? No. I'm an only child."

"Lucky you. Yukihito?"

"I have a sister. She lives with her kids in Osaka near our father."

"Do you like her?"

Yukihito laughed at the question. "I guess. I don't see her very often. She's older than I am, so I didn't see her much growing up."

"How am I the only one with the weird family?" Kanae mumbled as she gave up and began eating.

After breakfast, they sat in the living room, not sure what to do. It was their last day in America, and the three wanted to do something fun with Kyoko, but they didn't know what. As for Kyoko, she tried not to think of it as their last day. Julie came downstairs after a while and wrapped her arms around Kyoko. "I'm going to miss you sweetie. I'll see you in a week, okay?"

Kyoko hugged her back, unable to stop thinking of the last time she saw her real mother when she was little. 'Please come back.' She couldn't help but think. "I'll miss you too. Have a good trip."

"Alright. Goodbye Ren." She smiled softly at her son, conveying all the love she could through her eyes. "Kanae. Yukihito. It was nice to meet you all. Have a safe trip back."

Ren watched his mother go with pain in his eyes, which he tried to hide, but that his manager caught immediately. Kyoko was staring at her lap, forcing the unpleasant thoughts out of her head. 'This has nothing to do with me. She has a job. She's just going to work. She's not leaving me. This is so stupid. Just stop it. I can't…' Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt a hand on her forehead.

"Are you okay, sweetie?" Julie's eyes were full of concern, and Kyoko realized that the woman had joined her on the sofa. "Are you feeling sick?"

"Um…no. I'm fine." Kyoko smiled softly. "Sorry." She leaned into the woman's hand and Julie wrapped her arms around her daughter.

"I'm going to miss you sweetie." She whispered. "I'll be back in a week. Okay?" She held the girl at arm's length and Kyoko nodded, blinking hard.

"Bye."

"Bye. Bye everyone." Kyoko kept starting at her lap until Kanae sat next to her and wrapper her arms around her friend.

"You okay?" Kyoko nodded and gave her a sad smile.

* * *

><p>The beach was finally settled on. They had all had a good time together the last time and Kanae had suggested going again. This time, they opted to walk. Kyoko and Kanae wore cover-ups and Ren and Yukihito pulled on open shirts and they started walking. Kyoko and Kanae packed a bag of towels, sunscreen, and an umbrella like the last time, throwing in a ball at the last minute, and Ren grabbed it and refused to allow them to carry it. Along the way, Kyoko and Kanae chatted, following behind Ren and Yukihito at a distance. "You like her." Yukihito glanced over at Ren who was smirking.<p>

"Kyoko? Of course I do. She's a sweet girl, but I would ever go after someone you liked." Ren rolled his eyes.

"I think you know what I mean."

"Ren, I hardly know her."

"Hey, I can't blame you. She's certainly pretty."

"I thought you liked Kyoko!" He cried. When Ren was silent, he sighed. "Ren, I hardly know her. I haven't spoken to her before this weekend. And not much now."

"Well then…"

"Hey!" Yukihito interrupted. "Get your own girl to go out with you first. Then you can give me romantic advice."

Ren chucked.

When they reached the beach, Ren sat the bag down and Kyoko helped him set out their towels. Kanae stepped to the edge of the water and sat down, letting the waves wash over her feet. Kyoko joined her with a bottle of sunscreen and they lay down and rested in the sun.

Ren looked over at Yukihito who was putting sunscreen on and pulled the inflatable ball out of the bag. Yukihito looked up and saw Ren with the ball and smiled. They walked out into the waves and began hitting it back and forth. Kyoko sat up and began watching, and Kanae followed suit, laughing when one would miss or cheering when one did better than the other. Finally, Ren hit it over to Kyoko and Kanae, who jumped up and fought over it. Kyoko won and took off into the water, Kanae coming after her, and the men laughed at the sight of the two girls trying to run through the moving water. She hit it to Ren before Kanae could catch her, and Kanae made her way over to Yukihito's side to hit it back. Soon they were playing volleyball, minus the rules, in teams.

A few times, one of the girls would jump to hit the ball slip under the water. Each time the men would stop and help her up, though Yukihito was met with more resistance than Kyoko, who only took Ren's hand and thanked him. About twenty minutes into the game, Kanae hit the ball and it soared over their heads and out into the ocean. Kyoko and Kanae went after it, despite Ren and Yukihito's protests. Kyoko swam out ahead of Kanae, until both getting farther away then both Yukihito and Ren were comfortable with. "Hey! Just leave it!" Ren called, stepping closer.

"I got it!" Kanae called back, Kyoko following close behind. Kanae bobbed above the water and managed to hit the ball most of the way to the men. Ren started swimming toward them, Yukihito close behind, and grabbed the ball. He stood in the deeper water, waiting for the girls to reach him. Suddenly, he heard a scream and the girls both disappeared.

Kyoko fell behind Kanae a little as they swam back. She was about to catch her when her friend screamed and slipped under the surface. Kyoko dove under and managed to open her eyes, wincing at the sting, and saw Kanae curled into a ball, clutching her leg. Kyoko grabbed her friend and tried to pull her up, but Kanae reached out and accidently pulled her under while trying to break the surface. Both girls fought for a moment, each trying to get to the surface of the water, when hands grabbed Kyoko's arm and jerked her up, pulling Kanae along.

Kyoko tried to get to her friend, who she could hear crying, but all she could do was cough up the salt water and gasp for breath. Someone was holding her over water, which she was grateful for since she couldn't seem to catch her breath and didn't know if she could stay above water. After a moment she felt herself being half pulled and half carried toward the shore.

Ren panicked. He had grabbed the girl roughly, frightened by how long she had been under, but apart from being unable to stop coughing, Kyoko seemed fine. He held for a moment, trying to let her catch her breath, when Kanae cried out again. He saw her clutching her leg despite Yukihito's efforts to keep her above water, and he motioned for Yukihito to carry the girl to the beach.

Once they reached the sand, Ren let Kyoko sit on the beach, still fighting to clear her lungs of saltwater, and took the crying woman from Yukihito, looking at her leg. She was curled into a ball, holding her stomach, and rocking back and forth, taking deep breaths. Welts covered her leg and it was swelling. He sighed. "Jellyfish." He mumbled irritably. Yukihito's eyes widened.

"Should we take her to the hospital?" Ren didn't answer, just moved her closer to the water and began rinsing her leg with the sea water. "Ren?"

"Kanae." He touched the girl's arm and squeezed gently. "Can you breathe?" The girl nodded and started rubbing her eyes, still holding her stomach.

"Does your chest hurt?" He continued rinsing her leg and Kyoko stood and walked over. She shook her head and sat up a little, covering her mouth and gagging a little. "Okay. Then no. She's not allergic and it wasn't a deadly jellyfish. It probably just hurts. Kanae, tell me if you start having trouble breathing, okay?"

Ren didn't notice Kyoko watching him strangely, but felt her approach. "Are you okay?" He paused and she nodded. She was rewarded with a soft, relieved smile. "Okay, do you have your purse?"

"Yes." She was a little hoarse, but cleared her throat. She glanced back and forth from him to her friend, her eyes scared.

"Do you have any kind of card?"

"I have my old employee I.D." She said while cocking her head.

"Go get it." She nodded and brought her purse over, handing him her card. "I don't guess you have shaving cream or baking soda?" She frowned but handed him a travel size can of shaving cream. He laughed and took it, squirting it on the girl's leg, and ran the card over the welts and red area on her leg. "It gets rid of any tentacles on her leg left from the sting." He explained. He rinsed Kyoko's card carefully, then handed it back to her. "Do you have any ibuprofen?" By now, Kanae was sitting up completely and watching quietly while he treated her, embarrassed.

"Here." Kyoko pulled out a bottle and handed Kanae 2 pills. Kanae swallowed them dry and Ren pulled away.

"So do you have bandages in there too?" Kyoko smiled and shook her head. He shrugged. "They wouldn't hurt, but she'll be fine. You okay?" He turned back to Kanae, who was nodded. Kyoko sat next to her and hugged her friend, surprised when the girl returned the hug.

"Sorry." Kanae whispered. "I wasn't trying to drown you." Kyoko smiled brightly.

"I know. Are you sure you're okay?" The woman nodded and Kyoko stood, offering Kanae her hand. "Can you stand up?" Kanae took her hand and was able to stand.

"Yea. It's okay now." She sighed internally, then turned to Ren. "Thank you." She said sincerely. Ren smiled at her.

"Don't worry about it."

"Ren…how did you know what to do?" Kyoko wondered.

"Oh. Uh…I've been to the beach a lot. And I grew up around a beach." He smiled, hoping this particular fact didn't lead to any revelations. He needn't have worried.

"Oh. That's convenient." Kyoko said with a smile. "Oh! The ball!" She turned and found it floating. "I'd better…"

"Don't you dare." Ren gave her a stern look. "I'm not going through that again. Just leave it."

Kyoko gave in and let him lead her back to the blankets where they all sat together. She assumed that he meant that he didn't want to have to treat her, but Ren honestly didn't want to see her in that kind of pain. 'It was bad enough to see them go under, then have Kyoko coughing and unable to breath, then Kanae screaming and crying. I want Kyoko safe. I'm in charge of taking care of them, and if there is any chance of her getting hurt, I'm not taking it.'

* * *

><p>They went back to the house and changed clothes, and Kanae lay down for a little while. Kyoko went to the kitchen and began pulling things out of cabinets to assemble their lunch. Ren joined her after a minute and leaned against the counter.<p>

"Need any help?"

"Hmm? No thank you. I've got it."

"Are you okay?"

"Yes. I'm fine." She pulled out a loaf of bread and decided to just make sandwiches.

"She's fine, you know?" He walked over and began slicing the meat she had out on the counter, careful not to cut his fingers. "She's probably just tired. She was still feeling sick, but she'll be fine."

"I know." Her voice was soft. 'I've burdened everyone else with my feelings too much. I keep getting upset about things and they have to take care of me. Not this time. This is silly. She's fine. Never mind how scared I was when she disappeared under the water, or when I couldn't get her out of the water.' She took a deep breath and focused on the food. She froze when she felt him wrap his arms around her briefly.

"It's okay." He whispered in her ear, squeezing her from behind. "I was scared too." He let her go and went back to the food.

'She's embarrassed and doesn't want me to know that she was upset…but' His thoughts were interrupted when Kyoko took his hand.

"Thank you." She said quietly, then went back to the food.

* * *

><p>Lory sat in his limo, looking at the piece of paper in his hand. His lawyer had placed it on his desk the day before with a hopeful expression. "What do you think?" He had asked. Lory had looked over the paper and had mixed emotions. On one hand, if this worked out, it would be good for Kyoko and it would solve some of their problems, but if Kyoko found out and it didn't work…' He sighed. "It could make things worse. That's why I want to do this by myself without telling her. Hopefully…." He looked up when the limo stopped outside of a small house in Kyoto. "Well…here goes."<p>

**A/N: So I actually did some research for this chapter (Of all the things for me to research..lol. But if you ever find yourself (or a friend) stung by a jellyfish, this is what you really should do. Actually, there are creams and things that you can buy...) Anyway, I do have a plot. I swear! But I wanted some fluff too...because it is fun to write and honestly there can't be major progress between Ren and Kyoko every chapter. :) So what do you think?**


	18. A Promise

**A/N: Thank you to Lady Of The Hunt for your help! I really appreciate it. Also, thank you to everyone who reviews. It means a lot to mean that people enjoy or take the time to critique what I write. I hope you enjoy this chapter! I feel like I am finally getting somewhere. lol. **

**In case you didn't know, I do not own Skip Beat. I own this story and whatever characters do not appear in the manga. I don't feel like listing them all, so you can figure it out ) **

Chapter 18: A Promise

Lory stepped out of the limo and made his way to the front door. The house was relatively small, but it was nicely kept. The lawn was mowed and the yard was empty of anything but the flowers that lined the stone path. He stepped on the path and folded the piece of paper, putting it in his pocket. Knocking on the door, he was surprised when a young woman opened it. "Can I help you?" She asked quietly. She was about 16 or 17, and had soft brown eyes. Her black hair was twisted into a knot at the back of her head.

He smiled kindly at the girl. 'She looks familiar.' "Hello. I'm looking for Tanaka Kyouta." She frowned for a second, but took a step back.

"Please come in." She said softly. She led him into the home and shut the door behind him. Looking around, he could tell that the owners were well off, but not overly wealthy. The rooms were plain and sparse, but the furniture was nice and the home was clean. He exchanged his shoes for slippers and followed the girl into the living room, sitting cross-legged on a cushion in front of a low table. She left and returned with a cup of tea, which he accepted with a word of thanks and another smile. She bowed and left the room, returning in a few minutes with a man behind her. 'So familiar.'

The man was around forty, with short black hair and a clean-shaven face. His eyes were golden brown, and twinkled as he gave the man a soft smile. "Hello. I'm Tanaka Kyouta. Nice to meet you." He bowed, and Lory stood and returned the gesture. Standing, Lory could see that the man was nearly as tall as himself.

"Takarada Lory. Nice to meet you as well." The men sat on opposite sides of the table and the young girl brought Kyouta a cup of tea.

"This is my daughter, Tanaka Kuri." The girl smiled a little, nodding her head in acknowledgement, and then left the men to talk. Kyouta watched as Lory stared after the girl. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" Lory took note of the instant protectiveness that suddenly clouded the man's voice.

"What do you know about Mogami Saena?" Lory asked simply. He could see the girl's shadow as she stood pressed against the wall in the kitchen and hid a smile.

The man's face darkened. "May I ask why you need to know?" Lory sighed internally as his cold voice.

"I apologize. I am the President of Lory's Majestic Entertainment Agency, and it regards the welfare of one of my talents. Nothing you tell me will be made public without your consent, I can assure you."

"Which talent?" He asked suspiciously.

"What do you know about Mogami Saena?"

He sighed, and then looked over at his daughter who was hiding in the kitchen. "She's not someone that I want to remember. I was engaged. She was…" He sighed and lowered his voice. "Seductive. I made a mistake…. a few mistakes. She told me she wanted to get married. I had a fiancé at home…. I didn't think she would take it that seriously." He shook his head. "I was an idiot, and I've regretted it every day since."

"Did you tell your wife?"

"She, um…she died a few years after Kuri was born…I never got the chance."

"I'm sorry." Lory said quietly. "But did you know that Saena also had a baby?" The man looked up at him, his eyes wide.

"No." He said quietly. "I had no idea!"

"She had a little girl, and your name is on the original birth certificate." He pulled out a picture and handed it the man who found himself starting at the young actress Kyoko from Box R, the drama that his daughter loved so much. "Her name is Mogami Kyoko, and I'm pretty sure she's your daughter."

* * *

><p>When Kanae joined the others in the kitchen for lunch, they all gathered around the table. They were all nearly finished eating when Kyoko's phone rang. She excused herself and pulled out the cell phone, frowning at the unknown number. "Hello?"<p>

"Rosa? This is Jeremy. I just received a call from an assistant to Director Maya Song. She wants to speak with you about a role. Please hold." Before Kyoko could answer, another voice came through the phone. "Rosa? This is Erica. I am Director Song's assistant. She is currently directing a movie that will begin filming sometime early next week. She wants you to audition for the lead in her movie. Would you be able to come by sometime tomorrow afternoon?"

Kyoko did her best to keep up with the woman's clipped accent and managed to translate quickly. "Um…yes. That would be…"

"Good. How about 2 o'clock? I'll send the details to Jeremy. Thank you." Kyoko stared at the disconnected phone in stunned silence for a minute.

"Everything okay?" Ren looked over at her in concern.

"Um…a woman named Maya Song wants me to audition for the lead in her movie."

"Congratulations!" Ren said joyfully, smiling at her. "What movie?"

Kyoko blushed. "I actually don't know. She was rather…. brusque. I didn't get a chance to ask her anything."

"People in America are so rude." Kanae scowled. Ren laughed.

"Sometimes." He said with a smile. "But I've met my share of rude people everywhere. It's best not to let it get to you." He turned back to Kyoko. "Can you get the information from Jeremy?"

"That's what she said. He'll probably call in a little while to let me…" She paused when her phone vibrated again, and she looked up apologetically. They all smiled and she answered. Excusing herself to her room this time, she went to write down the details of her audition the next day as she spoke to Jeremy.

* * *

><p>"I don't believe this."<p>

"I am sorry."

"I honestly don't believe it! That's why she wanted me to marry her! That's why she tried to call me! I…I can't believe what I've done! Where is she?"

"This is the other part of the problem." He said softly. "Kyoko's mother abandoned her when she was little and left her with a family she knew to raise her. Kyoko ran away with their son, who ultimately hurt her, and she joined my Agency about a year ago. A month or so ago, her mother came and forced me to terminate her employment with LME. She was trying to force the girl to marry the son of one of her business partners and Kyoko ran away again, this time to California, where she is staying with…well let's just say her temporarily adoptive parents." He went on to explain the girl's relationship with the Hizuris without giving their names.

"This is my fault." Kyouta said softly. "I made such a stupid mistake, and that poor girl had to suffer." He frowned.

"There is something you can do." Lory said softly. "We are trying to sue for custody. Kyoko is waiting until her 18th birthday to come back, and Saena has no idea where her daughter is, but it would be easier for Kyoko if we could get another guardian for her." The man looked at him strangely.

"Why don't you have her adoptive parents sue for custody?"

Lory laughed a little. "And this is where it gets complicated. Their son is in love with her."

"Oh…she's dating their son?"

"Hmm. Oh I wish. The girl is in the Love Me section. She refuses to accept love." He ignored the man's surprised expression. "But she doesn't know that their son loves her. She knows the man, but she thinks that her friend and their son are two different people." He saw Kyouta's confusion and laughed. "Don't worry. It's hard for _me_ to keep up sometimes. It's their son's fault for making life so complicated. But needless to say, he doesn't want the woman he loves to become his sister."

"What will you do if I say no?" The man stared into his tea cup.

"Then I will try to become her guardian. If I can figure out a way to get guardianship without going to court, I'll do that."

"What about Kyoko? What about my daughter? What is she doing?"

"She's working as an actress in America."

"Do you think…do you think I could meet her?" He whispered, a hint of longing in his voice.

The President thought for a moment, then sighted. "I think we'd better wait." Lory understood the man's desire to see his daughter, but he didn't want to chance hurting Kyoko, and he could think of several ways this could go wrong. We will need a DNA sample to see if you are the real father. If you are, do you want to try and become her legal guardian?"

Kyouta stared at the table. "I don't know. She's my daughter. I feel like I'm responsible for her. But…" He looked up at Lory. "This adoptive father of hers…does he love her?"

Lory smiled. "Very much. So does his wife."

"And does she love them?"

"Yes. She does."

"Then why does she need another father to come and mess things up?"

Lory leaned forward. "Kyoko may not be ready to accept romantic love, but she is the most loving girl I have ever met. Believe me, she has enough room in her heart for another father, and more than enough for a sister." He glanced over at the girl peeking around the corner. "If you take an interest in her, I'm sure she would love to meet you. She'll be hesitant at first, but once you win her over, she will capture your heart."

* * *

><p>That evening, Kanae sat with Yashiro in the living room. Kyoko and Ren had gone upstairs, Ren to pack and Kyoko to call Julie. "Are you sure you're okay?"<p>

"MO! I'm fine!" Kanae turned an embarrassed glare to Yukihito. "I wish everyone would stop asking me that!" To be fair, only Kyoko continued asking her, but it didn't bother her when her friend did it. "It was just a stupid fish."

Yukihito refrained from pointing out that she had been sobbing only a few hours earlier when the 'stupid fish' had stung her. "Okay. Sorry." 'All right, here it goes. It's like jumping into a cold swimming pool. Just do it!' "So what are you doing tomorrow?"

"Flying back to Japan."

"Ahem…I meant after that."

"Work."

"Um…when do you get off?"

"Around 10."

'Crap! Ren doesn't get off until 11 anyway…' He mentally went over his schedule. " What about Thursday?"

"Work."

"Um…. when do you get off?"

She looked at him sideways. "7."

"Really. I get off around the same time."

Kanae stood. "Congratulations." She left the stunned man sitting in the living room and went to get a glass of water. As soon as she was out of sight, a blush erupted on her face. 'He was trying to ask me out! But…why! He's so old! He is kind of handsome…NO! Oh no! I will not fall into this trap! I am an actress. I will not fall in love with some idiot and be his broodmare for the rest of my life! My job comes first. I have spent my entire life working up to this, and I won't give up now for some guy because he happens to be handsome!'

* * *

><p>"Are you finished?" Kyoko stood in the doorway of Ren's room, watching him pack.<p>

"Just about. Come in." He smiled up at her as she entered the room.

"Will you be glad to go back?"

He dropped the shirt he was holding into the suitcase and zipped it. "I will be glad to get back to work. I've missed it." He looked over at Kyoko, standing in front of the doorframe. 'She looks so small.' He stood and walked over, wrapping his arms around her, ignoring the way she stiffened. "I'm going to miss you so much." He whispered against her hair. He longed to kiss her, right there in his parent's house in California. He wanted nothing more than to lay her on the bed and hold her and kiss her all night. 'But I won't force her. She's not ready. I'll wait. As long as it takes.' Right as he was about to release her, she hesitantly wrapped her arms around his torso.

"I'll miss you too." She whispered, and he could hear the tears in her voice. "I'm sorry. I keep crying over dumb things and…"

He did it. He cursed himself even as he did it, but it felt so nice. His lips touched hers gently and he felt electricity running through him.

'OH! He's…kissing me? Wait. Maybe he's not…maybe's he's just…um…' Try as she might, she couldn't think of a single thing that this could be classified as other than kissing.

He pulled away after a few seconds. 'Stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid! It just felt so wonderful! I wonder if I can get away with…where did she go?'

In the absence of a logical response to Ren's lips on hers, she had done the only thing she could think of. As soon as he pulled back, she fled.

* * *

><p>Kanae entered Kyoko's room at about 10 o'clock only to find said girl huddled in a corner and mumbling something about sex. Deciding that this required some delicacy, she crouched down next to her friend.<p>

"Okay. Do you mind speaking up so I can understand what it is you are mumbling about?"

"You said it!" Kyoko cried. "You said he was thinking about having sex with me!" Kanae wondered briefly if Ren could hear them, but decided that it wasn't really her problem if he could. "And then I thought about it and couldn't stop! And then he kissed me and all my locks are gone and I think I….NO! I can't! Not now! Moko-saaaan!"

"He kissed you?" Kanae raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Wow. I didn't think he had it in him."

"Moko-san!"

"Fine. What do you want me to do? You love him! We have established this! Why are you freaking out now?"

"He…what if he….I can't….he shouldn't….I don't know!"

"Well, that certainly clears things up." Kanae said dryly. "Did you not like it when he kissed you?"

"It…made my tummy ache." She mumbled looking up at Kanae shyly. "It made it tingle and ache and it felt…good." She blushed and stared at the ground.

"Well it sounds like you liked it. I repeat, what is the problem?"

"I'm not ready for this Moko!" She whimpered. "He's leaving! I won't see him again for a long time and…I don't want to start anything right now."

"Then tell him. Exactly what you just told me! He'll understand. I'm sure he would just be glad that you feel the same way."

"Do it for me Moko-san!" She wined. "I can't! I'm too embarrassed!"

"MO! I'm not telling your boyfriend you love him!" Kyoko squeaked and glared at Kanae, who stood and left. "Do it yourself."

* * *

><p>Ren sat on his bed. 'Stupid stupid stupid….' And on and on until he heard a hesitant knock on his door. Looking up, he saw Kyoko with her face pointed toward the floor. "Kyoko!" He stood, walking hesitantly over to her.<p>

"Why did you do that?" She asked the floor.

He couldn't read her tone so he decided to just answer. "I…I'm sorry. It's just…I wanted to for so long and…."

"lkit." She mumbled. He leaned forward.

"I can't hear you." He tried to get her to look at him.

Her face was red and her eyes were still on the floor as she turned her face up to him. "I liked it." She whispered, and her face went even darker. For a minute, his brain refused to believe that she had said that. However, when she leaned against him and hugged him again, his brain could no longer argue.

"Do you want me to do it again?" He mumbled into her hair with a small smile, and she buried he face into his chest, the blush brightening by the second. Finally she nodded a little, and he tilted her face upwards and kissed her again. He kept it gentle, only letting himself touch her for a few seconds until he pulled away, looking into her bright eyes. "I can't." He whispered, and the pain that appeared in her eyes had him scrambling to explain. "I love you!" He said quickly. "I love you so much. But…I've been lying to you." He explained softly. "Not just to you. To everyone." She nodded slowly, not understanding but willing to listen. "My name. I have to tell you my name. Not now. Not yet. I…I can't do that just yet." Her eyes were guarded, but she wasn't leaving. "But I will. Soon. I promise. And when I do that, then you can decide if you want to love me. Okay?"

"I do though." She whispered, almost pleadingly. "I do love you. And I really hate it!" He laughed a little, and then allowed himself one last kiss. This time, he made it last; only pulling away when he needed air. "Can you wait?" He pleaded with her after he took a few breaths.

She smiled a little. "I was actually going to ask you the same thing."

He chuckled and hugged her. "Okay. This is what we'll do. This never happened." She nodded against his chest. "As soon as I can, I'm going to tell you who I am. But I want you to understand something." She looked up at him. "It killed me to lie to you. I swear it did. I wanted so much to tell you, but I couldn't for reasons that I cant really explain now. And the other people that were involved…they hate it too. So please, don't be angry with me or with them and let us explain when the time comes."

The cryptic statement confused her, but the sincerity, the fear, the pleading in his voice and in his eyes made her nod. "I promise."

* * *

><p>"I'll do it." Kyouta clenched his fists and the determination in his eyes reminded Lory of Kyoko. "I made a mistake so many years ago, and now I'm going to make it right. I don't understand what happened to Saena, but I'm going to do this for Kyoko. If that means facing my past and gaining a daughter, then I am more than willing to do so."<p>

'I know now where Kyoko got her personality.' Lory stood and shook the man's hand. "Good. I'll contact my lawyers and we'll go from there."

**A/N: Thoughts? **


	19. The Audition

**A/N: So I was going to make up a movie and the script…but I'm not a screenwriter. Lol. So, I do not own the book mentioned (or Skip Beat.)**

**BTW, to those of you to whom I said that I wouldn't have another chapter up until Friday, I'm sorry about the lie. lol. I had a brief moment of internet connection and was able to put the chapter up! YAY for crappy wifi signal! lol. Happy Thanksgiving!**

Chapter 19: The Audition

Ren, Kanae, Yukihito, and Kyoko all woke early on the morning of their departure. Ren and Yukihito grabbed their bags from their rooms after getting ready, and Yukihito managed to get Kanae's. Irritated she attempted to get them back, but Yukihito was taller and neither Ren nor Kyoko was about to get involved. Kyoko was lost in thought for most of the drive to the airport. When they had first arrived, Kuu had sent a car for his son to use. Kuu sent them in a limo this time, with Jack driving and the four friends in the back. Kyoko and Kanae sat close together with the men on either side. When the airport came into sight, Kyoko cried loudly and dramatically, causing Kanae to roll her eyes and shove her friend off. "MO! Stop making a scene! You'd better not do this at the airport! I won't forgive you! Stop crying! I'll come visit again if I can!"

"Really Moko!" She cried, lunging again for her best friend, who managed to avoid her. Kyoko herself sprawled across Yukihito lap. He grabbed her to keep her from falling on the floor and laughed as she squeaked and tried to apologize. Ren chucked into his hand. "Moko! That was mean!" Kyoko whined.

"Well stop doing that!" She snapped, holding back a laugh at the look on Yukihito's face.

Ren reached out and helped her sit back down in her seat, and Kyoko had to fight to keep herself from throwing her arms around him and crying. 'That never happened. He wants to wait and I'm not ready either…I wonder what is so important about his name. Maybe I'll ask Corn what he thinks about all this….'

When they reached the airport, Jack opened the door and Kanae and Yukihito climbed out. As soon as they were out of sight, Ren couldn't stop himself. He wrapped his arms around Kyoko and kissed her, breathing in her scent and moving his lips against hers. She whimpered a little, but he didn't want to stop. Gently, he touched her lips with his tongue, then pulled away when she opened her mouth. 'Bad Kuon! Stop before you go too far.' She leaned against him and bit her lip hard, trying to keep from crying. "I'm going to miss you so much." He whispered, then let her go. When he saw her tear filled eyes, his own eyes began burning, and he hurried out o the limo. She followed behind after a second, eyes dry and mask firmly in place.

They entered the airport and made their way to the gate where their plane was boarding. Yukihito was the first to say goodbye. He gave the younger girl a half hug. "I'll see you soon, okay?"

She nodded, hugging him back. "Make sure Ren eats." Yukihito laughed and nodded.

"I will." He turned and waited by the gate for the others.

Sensing that Kanae wanted him to go first, Ren wrapped his arms around Kyoko. 'It's not fair. I finally learn that she loves me too, and I have to leave her.' "I'll miss you." He whispered again, resting his head against hers.

"Bye." She mumbled into his chest.

"I'll see you soon. I'll call you, okay?" She nodded and he squeezed one more time before he let her go. Smiling at her one last time and wishing he could kiss her again, he turned and joined Yukihito.

"Mo." Kanae threw her arms around her best friend who squeezed her back. "Don't do anything stupid." Kanae mumbled into her hair. "I'll see you later."

"Bye Moko-san."

Kyoko couldn't watch them leave. She turned and joined Jack who drove her home. She had the audition later that afternoon, which Kuu was driving her to, but at the moment she didn't feel like thinking about it.

Kuu found her in her room after she arrived, curled up on her bed, staring out the window. "You're going to see them again." He said softly, climbing on the bed and wrapping his arms around her. "But I understand. I feel the same way every time Julie goes of for work. And sometimes I think, I hate her job. But then I remember how much she loves it, and I remember that even though she loves me and misses me, she's having a good time doing what she loves." Kyoko rested her head against her father's shoulder. "It doesn't make the pain go away, but it helps."

* * *

><p>When Maya opened the door to the waiting room, she found the girl already sitting alone in a chair, skimming a magazine. "Rosa?" The girl looked up at her with cool eyes and a professional and mostly friendly, if distant, smile. The director walked over to the now standing girl. "Good afternoon. I'm Maya Song. It's nice to meet you."<p>

"It's nice to meet you as well, Director Song."

"Thank you for coming." Maya turned and let the girl into the other room.

"Of course. I do have some questions though. Your assistant was a bit vague." Rosa sat across from the director at her large, somewhat cluttered, desk.

"Really? All right. What would you like to know?"

"What is the movie about?"

"She didn't even…." The woman sighed. "Never mind. The movie will be called A Thousand Days." It's based off the book "Book of a Thousand Days" which is, in turn, based off a Grimm fairy tale. It's about a maid who goes to work for a girl who is imprisoned in a tower because she refuses to marry a man she doesn't love. I wanted you to audition for the main role, Dashti, the lady's maid."

"The…maid is the main role?" Rosa looked skeptical.

"Yes. The book is told through her point of view, and she is the one who gets the happy ending." Rosa smiled a little at that. Maya pulled out a script and handed it to Kyoko. "All I want you to do is read this." Rosa looked at her for a moment and nodded, looking down at the paper. "Don't read it to yourself first. Just read it to me, like you're telling me."

Rosa nodded and began reading. "My father died before I was old enough to call him Papa. It should've been alright for us because Mama had three sons before me. The oldest was fourteen, of an age to hunt for food and protect us." Maya's eyes widened as the girl's eyes grew soft, as if filled with fond memories of an older brother. "And he did. For five years. But then we had a standing-death winter, when the night gets cold sudden fast, the air freezes like ice, and in the morning you find the horses and yaks and sheep dead on their feet." Maya saw pain in the girl's eyes, and a cold hopelessness. "Three days after the animals died, my mama and I woke to discover my brothers gone. But with father and animals dead, our family way a grave." She paused, a sad, hurt look in her eyes. "Mama and I were hungry lots after that, but we had our gher and one animal left. We didn't dare go to the main pasturing place." Anger filled her eyes, the intensity of it taking Maya's breath away. "Any mucker out of his luck would see a woman and a girl with no men to protect them as an invitation to plunder." Kyoko read on softly, as if the memories filled the young woman's heart and were too painful to speak aloud.

As Rosa read the next part, Julie's face filled Kyoko's mind and tears streamed down her face. Occasionally her voice would catch. "I was fourteen. I'd been crying too much and was as weak as wet laundry. But I laid her out on the open steppes under the Eternal Blue Sky, with her feet pointed at the Sacred Mountain. I sat with her another day and night. I guess singing the parting songs to my mama was the hardest thing I've ever done. I would've rather had her ghost haunting my every footstep than be alone. But I felt proud after I did it. And now she'll be waiting in the Ancestor's Realm, ready to sing me in."

Maya could only stare at the girl, the strong crying girl who looked at her with a firm resolve shining through the sadness in her eyes. 'Perfect. That was perfect. I've got my Dashti.'

* * *

><p>Lory sat with Kyouta in his office, waiting for the results from the lab to come back. "How did you get a DNA sample from Kyoko?" Kyouta wondered.<p>

Lory smirked. "I have DNA samples on file from every one of my employees, Tanaka-san."

"Oh." The man didn't want to know how or why. Nor did he want to ask about the camel, Jethro apparently, who stood in the corner, eating off the ground. 'Why is this man's office decorated like a Chinese palace? Is there a reason he's wearing that kimono? Do Chinese monarchs wear kimonos? I'm not really sure." He looked over at Kuri who was sitting in a chair on the other side of the room. He thought back to the conversation he had had with her after Lory left his home. It hadn't been easy to tell her that he'd messed around with another woman when he was engaged to her beloved mother, nor was it easy to explain his interest in Kyoko. Kuri had accepted his explanation but, since that night she had refused to speak with him about it.

"Do you mind if I walk around?" Lory and Kyouta looked up at the girl. Lory smiled.

"Of course not." Kyouta nodded his agreement and Kuri nearly fled the room.

"She's upset."

"Understandably." Lory nodded sympathetically. "But she'll be okay. Trust me. Everyone loves Kyoko." He laughed a little. "Well, nearly everyone. She has a way of winning people over, especially, it seems, if they start out hating her."

* * *

><p>Ren headed to the President's office. Corn had a letter for Kyoko, and he wanted to ask about email as an alternative for the future. He wanted to be able to talk to her more, despite the guilt he felt every time she called him Corn without knowing. He glanced at his phone. He had a job in thirty minutes downstairs, so he wanted to hurry. Nearly running around the corner, he slammed into another person. Wrapping an arm around a slim waist, he caught the person and pulled them forward. "I'm so sorry. Are you…" He froze and found himself looking into bright golden eyes. 'Kyoko?'<p>

There was no denying it. She could have been the girl's sister. "Kuri!" He looked up and a man came around the corner.

'Kyoko again!' The man's eyes were the same golden color and the facial structure was so similar it was scary.

"Hello." The man said quietly. Ren realized that his arm was still around the girl and he let go hurriedly, stepping back.

"Sorry. Are you okay?"

The President came around the corner and laughed at Ren's predicament. "Ren. There you are. Please, come one into my office."

Once they were all in the office, Lory closed the door. Ren noticed that the girl was sitting by the window, ignoring the rest of them, and that the man kept looking at her. Ren sat down on one of the President's sofas across from the eccentric man himself. The other guy sat in a chair. "Ren, I'd like to introduce you to Tanaka Kyouta. Tanaka-san, Tsuruga Ren." The two men acknowledged each other warily, both wondering what the other was doing there.

"Ren, Tanaka-san is…"

"Sir, we have the results. They're positive." Lory's lawyer barged into the room.

Ren looked over at the other man, wondering if he were as confused as himself, but was surprised to see the man's face was pale and he looked sick. "Oh God it's true. Oh what have I done?"

"Are you okay?"

"Calm down Tanaka-san. It's what we suspected from the beginning." The President put his hand on the man's shoulder.

The girl jumped to her feet and fled the room.

"Kuri! Wait." The man dropped back down into the chair and moaned. "I don't believe this is happening."

"Wait a minute!" Ren cried, looking from the door to the president to Tanaka-san. "Please. Will someone tell me what's going on? What do you mean?" He turned to the other man in the room. "Positive for what?"

Lory sighed. "It was a paternity test, Ren." Ren looked over in confusion.

"He's….Kuri's father?"

"No." Kyouta moaned. "Well, yes. I am. But that's not the point."

"Ren, he's Kyoko's father."

"Takarada-san, who is this man anyway? Why are you telling him about this?"

"Because he's the man that's in love with your daughter."

"Wait…what?" Ren dropped his head in his hands. "Just…wait a second."

"You're in love with my daughter?" He looked up and was surprised to see the man frowning at him.

"You are Kyoko Mogami's father." Ren clarified.

"Apparently."

"Okay. How did this…happen?"

The President smirked. "Well Ren, when a man and a woman…."

"President! You know what I mean!" Ren snapped. He turned back to Tanaka-san, eyes blazing. "Where have you been? What are you doing showing up now?"

Kyouta could see the anger coming out in the taller man's eyes and was taken aback. "Um….well Kyoto. I've been in Kyoto for the last few years. With my daughter. Your President came to my house and informed me that my name was on Kyoko's original birth certificate?"

"Then how did Kyoko not know?"

"Her mother must have doctored the document." Lory put in from the side.

"So you are going to…get custody?"

"We have a better chance of getting custody if it is her biological father." Lory explained.

"Have you spoken to her mother?"

"Wait…you're the son of her adoptive parents?" Ren turned a murderous glare onto the President who shrunk back for a minute.

"I didn't tell him any names, Ren."

"Well it's not that hard to figure it out from there!" Ren roared, standing. "What else did you tell him?"

"Ren!" Lory stood up, a warning in his voice, and before Kyouta's eyes, the giant shrunk and slipped back into his seat, and apologetic expression on his face. "Now. First things first. Do you want custody of your daughter?"

Kyouta went pale and glanced back and forth from Ren ad Lory. "Um…I don't….I'm not sure."

"What do you mean you're not…" Ren stopped when he saw the look in Lory's eyes. "Sorry." He stood, shoving his hands into his pockets. "I'll wait in the hall."

Ren pulled out his cellphone. "Yashiro-san, can you cancel my next job this morning?"

"What! Ren!"

"Yes I know it's…"

The man interrupted incredulously. "Do you realize what your workload is going to be tonight?"

"Yes. I know Yashiro. Please? It's important." He pleaded.

"...Okay." The hassled man sighed. "I'll get on it."

"Thank you Yashiro-san."He pocketed his phone and walked around the corner, nearly running into the girl again. He laughed a little. "Sorry again." He looked at her red eyes and his smile slipped away. "You okay?" She nodded and walked over to the opposite wall, sliding down to the ground. After a moment's hesitation, he joined her.

He was silent, staring at the wall lost in his own thoughts until she spoke up. "Have you met her?"

"Hmm?" He looked down at the top of the girl's head.

"My…" She flinched. "Kyoko."

"Your sister?" He smiled a little but she only glared at the wall.

"Half sister." She insisted quietly.

He sighed, realizing that this girl would probably need time to get used to this. "Yes. I do know her. I just returned from visiting her."

"What's she like?"

Ren smiled. "Well, she looks like you and your father, and..."

"I know what she looks like!" She snapped, them frowned apologetically. "I've seen her on TV. As Natsu."

Ren laughed out loud. 'So she likes Box R.' "She's nothing like Natsu." He assured her with a smile. "I've seen her apologize as soon as filming ended to someone she was tormenting." The girl smiled a little. "She's smart. She's a quick learner. She loves her friends." His eyes grew soft. "She'd do anything for anyone. She has a temper, but she loves fairy tales."

"But she already has two parents." The girl confirmed and Ren frowned a little.

"I suppose you could say that but they aren't really related to her. They do love her though."

"So why does she need my father?" The girl glared at the ground, and Ren could understand her anger.

"Her mother…is very cruel to her. Kyoko was abused as a child, and then abandoned. She ran away with a boy she loved, and he hurt her. She says that she can't love anymore, but she is one of the most loving people I know." He didn't notice his face slipping.

"You love her." The girl's voice was dry and Ren whipped his head around.

"Um…I…"

"I think everyone already knows if you always talk about her like that with that look on your face." Before he could retort, Yashiro appeared around the corner.

"Ren! Why did you need to…hello?" Yashiro frowned at Ren sitting next to a girl that looked like Kyoko. "Who's this?" He smiled softly at the young girl.

"Kuri this is my manager." Ren said softly. "Yashiro, this is Kuri. She's Kyoko's sister."

"Half sister."

Yashiro stared at the two in stunned silence for a moment. "Sister?"

"Yes. And Lory is in his office talking to her father." Ren smiled cheerfully at his manager's shocked face. "Any questions?"

* * *

><p>"I got it!" Kyoko ran into her father's arms when she returned home. "I got the part." Her eyes were lit up and he laughed, wrapping his arms around her.<p>

"Do you have the script?" His voice was excited and his eyes were lit up. She nodded and pulled out both the script and a copy of the book that had been given to her. "Let's see." Kuu took the script and led her over to the sofa while she settled beside them to read the book. Every once in a while, he would point out scenes that he liked or interesting character traits, and Kyoko would put the book down and discuss it with him.

* * *

><p>Lory sighed when he saw Yukihito's stunned face. "Anyone else you want to tell Ren?"<p>

"How about Kyoko?" Ren asked sarcastically with a cold look in his eyes. "Actually, why didn't you call her first!"

"Ren, I want you to think about this. Say I'd found her father. Then say I'd called her and told her, "Mogami-san, I think I've found the man who is your biological father. I'm going to ask him if he is interested in getting custody so you can come back." Now, picture what it would have done to her if the man had said no." Ren flinched. "I wanted to spare her that pain. If he had refused, then we could have pretended it never happened. She doesn't need any more rejection in her life."

* * *

><p>"Yes. I did. I know. Thank you! Yea. Hehe. Next week, Monday. She wanted to move it back." Kuu stood back while Kyoko talked to his wife on the phone, unconsciously twirling her skirt in her hands. The happy glow in her eyes and the excited smile on her face told him everything. He looked down at his cell which was vibrating. Stepping out of the kitchen, he answered.<p>

"Hey boss."

"I found her father." Kuu froze, glancing into the kitchen to make sure Kyoko hadn't somehow heard, then hurried upstairs to his bedroom.

"What on earth are you talking about?" Kuu sat back and closed his eyes as Lory filled him in after shutting and locking his door. "Well…do you want me to tell her?"

"No! Not yet. I…I want to see if he can get custody first."

"What? Without telling her!"

"Kuu…" Lory sighed. "I just want to see if this is going to work before I tell her."

"Lory! What about…"

"What if he changes his mind, Kuu! I just…I don't want…" He sighed again. "If that happens, she will have been rejected by a mother and a father."

"She has a mother and a father!" Kuu snapped.

Lory smirked. "Sounds like you're getting attached." Kuu rolled his eyes. Lory's voice softened. "How is she?"

Kuu thought back to her conversation with his wife a few minutes ago in the kitchen. "She's doing really well. She just got the lead in a movie." Lory laughed a little. "And…she's opening up to us. I feel like she is starting to accept us as her parents."

"I'm glad. Hopefully her father will get custody and she can come home. By the way, Kuon asked me about something. He wanted to know if he could email her instead of sending letters. He gave me one and I faxed it to you, but from now on he'd rather do email."

"That's fine. I wanted to get her a present anyway. I'll let you know when I get her set up with an email account."

* * *

><p>Kyoko pulled open the letter Kuu had given her. Smiling in excitement, she tore the envelope and began reading.<p>

"Dear Kyoko,

I've asked Father if we could email instead of sending letters. It would be a lot faster and more convenient, if it were okay with you. Father will let you know more. I've just got back from visiting an old friend. How have you been? How is your acting career going? Has anything happened with Ren? Are you enjoying your time in America? I'm sure you'll be happy to go home, but I also hope that you are enjoying your time with our family.

I've been thinking that I would like to come and see you before you go home. I would very much like to meet you, if it's okay with you. If you would rather just write letters, that's fine.

Father told me about what happened at the club last week. Are you okay? Have you talked to that guy since? I have to say I don't think you should. I'd like to have a talk with the guy myself. Please be careful from now on, and make sure that you never go out with someone you don't know well. My father would be devastated if something happened, and so would I.

Enough about that. How is acting? Have you got any big parts? I'm sure you'll be the next star in America. Father thinks so too. Mother is in love with you. I'm sure they will both insist on being at the filming when you get your first part. Write me back as soon as you can. I can't wait to hear from you.

Your Friend,

Corn"

Kyoko blushed as she sat the letter down. "Our family? It sounds like we're married…. But that's silly. I'll bet he has a girlfriend."

Kuu opened her door after knocking quietly. "Hey. Anything interesting?" He asked upon seeing her with a letter in her hand and a soft smile on her face.

"Hmm. Well, not really. But can I ask you a question? Does Kuon have a girlfriend?"

Kuu took one look at her innocent face and nearly laughed out loud. "No, but he's fallen for a girl he works with. Hopefully he'll ask her out soon."

"Oh. That's sweet. I hope she says yes." She said cheerfully.

"Heh. Yea. Me too."

**A/N: I do not own "Book of a Thousand Days" by Shannon Hale. There is not a movie based on this book, but if there were, I wouldn't own it. However I recommend reading the book. It's really good. (I didn't want to spoil it in the first author's note. Lol) So just so you know, all quotes from the book are the sole property of Shannon Hale, as is the plot, characters, etc. I'm just using it in this fan fiction. So what do you guys think? I will try to reply to all reviews as soon as possible. I really appreciate all the feedback! :D**


	20. Communication

**A/N: OMG 20 CHAPTERS! Lol. I can't believe it! :D It is twice as long as my last story. Yay. I hope you guys are enjoying it so far. All reviews are so appreciated and I am trying to respond to all of your reviews. Please forgive any errors! I'm trying to fix them all!**

Chapter 20: Communication

Kyoko began looking over the script as soon as she finished reading the book. Thumbing through the pages, she wondered at the amount of narration she would have to do. 'Most of the book is made up of her thoughts. Will I be speaking aloud during the scenes or will I be acting it all out and recording the words separately ?'

The book had been easy to finish since she had been unable to put it down. She found herself captivated by the characters and this fantasy world she would be temporarily living in. The script was a little less interesting, but she was enjoying building her character. 'This girl…she's so strong and I admire her. I would like to be like her…and she ends up happy with her beautiful new friend! Like me and Moko-san!...not to mention a Prince!' Kyoko slipped into her dream world, which now included both Moko-san, dressed in a beautiful princess dress, and Ren, the handsome prince.

* * *

><p>Ren sat at his computer, blowing the dust off of the top, and brought up his new email account. He had only one contact and didn't plan on adding any more. Clicking the little envelope next to Kyoko's bolded name, he opened the message.<p>

"Dear Corn,

I'm so sorry to have worried you and father and mother! I promise that I would never do such a stupid thing again. I needed to act like I was in a club and…well it was the best I could think of. I will be more careful from now on.

Did you have a good time visiting with your friend? Was it a girlfriend? I don't mean to pry, but I was curious. Father said you liked a girl you worked with. You should tell her! I'm sure she likes you back. Who wouldn't?

My acting is going well. I just got the lead in a movie called "A Thousand Days" based off of a book which is based off a fairy tale! I was so excited to hear that it was based off of a fairy tale! Those are my favorites! (Please don't laugh). I really enjoyed reading the book and I can't wait to start filming. I love my new role and look forward to bringing her to life. Are you an actor? I don't mean to be presumptuous, but I sort of assumed you were because Father is. Or are you a model like Mother? I'm sorry, but I just can't imagine you doing something boring like accounting. But maybe you do. Can you tell me what you do? Whatever it is, do you enjoy it?

I love acting. I am so glad that things ended the way they did with my exfriend and that I found LME. I will always be grateful to the President for allowing me to join his agency and to my friends for supporting me. Speaking of my friends, they just visited me for a few days! I was so happy to see them, and I had such a wonderful time with them. Especially Ren. Actually, I wanted to tell you about that.

Ren and I…well he…(the words here were in a tiny font) kissed me. And…I am so embarrassed to tell you this, liked it. I think I'm in love with him Corn! But…there's something wrong with him. He was telling me that he's been lying to me and keeping a secret from me. He's worried about telling me his name…but why? What could be so horrible about his name? Is he an ex-con or…maybe the son of a drug lord or something! I wanted to ask but he seemed so scared that I would be angry or reject him and…I know what it feels like to be rejected. I couldn't do that to someone, especially not him.

I have to say that I'm scared, Corn. What if this doesn't work out and he loses interest in me? What if he changes his mind? The thought makes me cry. I can't bear it. I couldn't take it if he hurt me like Sho did. I couldn't do that again.

Anyway, I shouldn't be bothering you will my problems like this. I really do like America, and am having a good time. I dislike the people I work for, but hopefully I will warm up to them. I feel like my English is improving, and I am learning my way around. I do dislike the fact that I have so little work, and that I cannot attend school here. I have considered asking Father if I can join the actor's school…but I'm not sure. Ren told me that Father would gladly help me pay for it, but I don't think he understands. All my life I've been a burden to people who didn't want me. It just goes against everything I know to ask for money from someone. But…maybe Ren is right. I may do it. What do you think?

Well, I hope that you are doing well. (By the way, I haven't seen Will in a while, but I don't think you are being fair. He did apologize.)

Sincerely,  
>Kyoko"<p>

Ren couldn't keep the smile from his face. Despite knowing that he would have to tell her the truth soon, and that he had no idea if she would accept him, he couldn't stop the joy that made his heart race in excitement. 'She loves me. She let me kiss her and she loves me.' He frowned as he looked again. 'She's scared though. Scared that I'll hurt her like that idiot Shotaro did. I'll have to prove to her that I would never intentionally hurt her.'

He looked at the end. "I'm so proud of you." He told the computer quietly. "You're going to be the lead in a movie at the beginning of your career. You are so amazing. I love you." He leaned his head against the screen, closing his eyes and pretending that it was her. Opening a new message, he began to type.

* * *

><p>Kyoko looked up from her script in the den as the computer dinged. Kuu had left a few hours ago and she realized that she had been staring at the script, lost in her dream world, for at least an hour. Looking at the screen, she saw Corn's bolded name in her inbox. 'That was quick. I just emailed him two hours ago.<p>

"Dear Kyoko,

It's fine. You don't have to keep apologizing. I'm sure you'll be careful from now on. I'm just glad that you are okay. I'm also glad to hear that you are happy. Ren sounds like a good man. I'm sure he would never hurt you. Do you miss him now? I'm sorry you don't get to see him for a while. I hope that he is able to visit you again soon. What did you do with your friends when they came?

As for your guess, I can tell you that I am an actor. But you won't find any information on me. I act under a stage name. I do love it. However, you were right that I also model. I love both of my jobs and am very happy here, although I miss my family more than I could tell you. I cannot wait for the time when I can return to them.

About the acting school, I can understand your reluctance. I'm sorry that you had such a hard childhood, but I assure you, you are not a burden on our parents. They love you so much and it makes them happy to help you. I'd advise you to go for it. It could really help you better your acting and even your English. If you do register for the school, let me know how it goes.

I can't believe my father discusses my love life with you, but I will tell you that I told the girl how I felt about her and was happy to find that she feel the same way. I will not see her again for a while due to work circumstances, but I miss her very much and will be excited to see her again. Hopefully it will not be long.

I have never heard of the movie, but as soon as it comes out I will be getting a copy from my father. Please keep me updated about filming as you go along. I can't wait to see you act in a movie. I will also be sure to read the book. Do you think I could get a copy of the script? I think it would be interesting to look over. Also, please don't feel like you are ever troubling me with your problems. I love hearing from you.

Your Friend,  
>Corn."<p>

"Your friend." Kyoko smiled as she said it. "I hope I get to meet you soon Corn." She whispered.

"Hey. How's the script coming?"

"Um actually…" She blushed as she looked up at her father's tall figures in the doorway. "I haven't really gotten very far."

Kuu laughed. "Did you get distracted?"

"A little. What do you have?" She looked at the bag in his hand warily. On the side was a store logo she didn't recognize.

"A present." He grinned and placed a wrapped box on her lap.

"Father! Why did you get me a present? It's not my birthday or Christmas or…"

"Kyoko." Kuu's voice was firm. "I missed your birthday and Christmas, so I owe you one more. This one can be for whichever you choose." Kyoko rolled her eyes and glared at him.

"Father I don't need…"

"Kyoko!" He cried. "Please, just this once, just accept something I give you." He clasped his hands dramatically and fell to his knees. She couldn't help the giggle at his over done acting. "Please. Just once. I swear, next time you can throw a fit."

Kyoko sighed and shut her mouth. "Sorry." She said quietly, then started tearing into the paper. "Thank you." She froze when she reached the actual box and found a picture of a slim, silver computer. "Father…you can't…how much…"

"You don't wanna know how much." Kuu laughed and sat next to the girl, helping her open the box. "I didn't think you wanted to come in here every time you wanted to get on a computer."

"Father…" She looked over at his excited face and couldn't argue anymore. 'He's so happy about giving me this…it would hurt him if I refused.' With great difficulty, she managed a 'thank you.' Wrapping her arms around his next she let him hold her. "I really appreciate this. You didn't have to, but thank you so much."

"I'm glad you like it. I know you're stuck here all day when you don't have work, so I thought I'd give you something to do." Kyoko laughed, then remembered her conversation with Ren earlier, and Corn's advice.

"Father…can I talk to you about something?"

He looked at her, surprised at the quiet, almost fearful look in her eyes and her serious voice. "Of course. What's wrong?"

"Um…I wanted to ask you…I wanted to know if I could…there's a…" She took a deep breath. "The acting school." She finally managed. "The one at my…I mean your agency. I was…I was in the acting school at LME and…" She looked up and met Kuu's eyes. They were soft and gentle.

"You want to join the acting school?" He asked softly. She nodded, staring at her lap. "Of course you can."

"But, it costs a lot of money…"

"I can afford it." He said confidently.

"But…you shouldn't have to…"

"Kyoko, let's try this one more time." He took her hands in hers and turned toward her, staring into her eyes. "I am your father. It is my responsibility and my pleasure to take care of you and to get you everything you need want. Do you understand?" He knocked on her head a little and she giggled, nodding.

"Yes Father."

"Good. It's about time. We'll go over there tomorrow and see if we can get you in."

* * *

><p>Friday evening, Kanae closed her door behind her and shivered a little in the cold, empty apartment. Contentious of her heating bill, she turned up her heat a few degrees and hung her coat up on the hook by the door. She then padded into her small kitchen and heated up some water for tea. As she sipped the hot beverage and leaned against her counter, she thought about sunny California and her silent, cold apartment. 'Why did I ever come back here?' Suddenly there was a knock at her door. 'If it's one of my family members, I'm going to scream.' She sighed and sat the cup down on the table. Leaving her kitchen, she glanced at the thermostat. 'Maybe I can turn it up a few more degrees...' Opening the door, she was dumbfounded to find a tall man with fair hair and glasses. He offered her a half smile.<p>

"Hello Kanae." She realized that he was shivering and went into autopilot.

"Um…Hello. Come in." She stepped back and let him in, closing the door behind them. She hurried to get him a cup of tea and sat down across from him at her kitchen table built for one. "Um…what can I do for you?" She glanced around, a little embarrassed that this (probably) rich man was in her shabby apartment.

"Uh…actually…I was wondering if you wanted to go to dinner or something." He offered her a nice smile, but she only stared at him in shock.

"Yukihito Yashiro…are you asking me on a date?" She cried incredulously.

He smiled but colored, embarrassed. "Well…yes. Sort of."

"No!" She cried.

"Why?" He looked more curious than upset, which irritated her.

"Because…because I don't want to."

"Why? Are you not hungry?"

"I am...but…"

"Do you not like eating out?"

"Well…sometimes…but…."

"How about me? Do you dislike me?"

His eyes were so sad that Kanae couldn't help the honest answer that slipped out. "No. I don't dislike you."

"Okay then." He smiled cheerfully. "Let's go." He pulled her up and wrapped a coat around her. Gently, he led her out the door and into the taxi that he had waiting.

Once in the taxi, Kanae's senses returned. "What do you think you're doing!" She cried, ignoring the tiny seed of happiness that was trying to rear its ugly head. "I didn't agree to this!"

"Kanae, just let me take you to dinner. Please. Do you think that you could spend one evening being pleasant?"

"How…what….you think….you…ugh!" She spluttered, glaring at him, unsure which insult she wanted to use. Yukihito only laughed, causing an involuntary smile to tug at the corners of her lips. "Fine. Whatever. Where are we going?"

He named a nice restaurant in the area and she only nodded. 'If he's going to force me to go out with him, he'd better make it nice.'

"So how was your day?" He asked with a smile.

"Fine."

"Oh come on. Remember. I asked if you could be pleasant?" He sighed when she only glared at him. "Fine. My day was rather hectic. I followed Ren around all day, trying to rearrange his schedule and get him where he needed to go. I was also mauled by a crazy fan…" He paused when he was sure he heard a soft laugh. He looked over and she was staring ahead with a straight face. "Of course Ren apologized to me, but I had to tell him not to worry. He hates it when stuff like that happens, despite the fact I can usually defend myself. Some of those women are pretty determined though." He paused. 'Ha! There! She smiled a little.' Then went on. "Then we get to an interview and that went over about twenty minutes, so we had to rush to his filming. I don't think I've ever seen him drive that fast." Yukihito shuddered and Kanae smiled fully this time, trying and failing to hide it with a hand over her mouth and his exaggerated reaction. "Oh, then he spilled coffee all over his sweater so we had to rush to wardrobe and find him a new sweater. However, you would be amazed at how few people carry clothing in his size." Kanae laughed a little. "So it was either this horrendous brown thing or a purple one with a cat on it." Kanae laughed out loud, and Yukihito joined her. "You should have seen his face."

"So what did you do?" Kanae couldn't help but ask.

"I ran to the store and got him a new sweater of course." He shook his head. "Luckily, that was about as eventful as the day got."

"Really? It gets worse?"

"Several fangrils and some injuries worse. Those are the worst. When an actor gets injured, it can delay everything. Once when one of the sets collapsed where Ren was working, another actress broke her wrist and we couldn't film for a few weeks. The director had to get a new lead actress, and everyone felt horrible for her. Especially Ren. He sent her flowers for a while." Kanae's eyes widened, then she winced at the thought.

"That sucks. Get injured on the job and then fired."

"They would have had to delay filming for several months and it just wouldn't have worked, so he negotiated her contract. She did another movie with him later. It worked out really well, but it could have ended badly."

They were now sitting in front of the restaurant and Yukihito paid the driver and led Kanae to the door. Several people were standing around, waiting for a table in large groups, but Yukihito walked up to the woman at the podium. "Hello. I have a reservation for Yashiro."

The woman flipped through her book and nodded, motioning for a waiter, who came right to her side. "Good evening. Please follow me." Yukihito placed his hand on Kanae's back and she fought not to wiggle away. Instead, she let him guide her as they followed the waiter, and she frowned as she saw the nice outfits that everyone else seemed to be wearing.

The waiter stopped at a table in the back and Kanae sat in the chair he held out for her. The waiter left them with menus and Yukihito pulled his coat off and hung it up on his chair. "Kanae? Don't you want to take your coat off? It's hot in here."

"Um no…I'm fine."

"Are you still cold?" He frowned and her heart warmed a little at the concern there.

"No…I'm just not dressed for this." Yukihito chuckled gently.

"You're fine." He said with a smile. "No one cares how you're dressed. This place is nice, but they aren't going to throw you out. You look beautiful." She blushed and looked at the menu, trying to decide what she wanted to drink. "Come on." She realized that he was standing behind her, holding her coat. She sighed and pulled her arms out, letting him take it and hang it on her chair. When he returned to his seat, he saw Kanae's face was a soft red. Hiding a smirk, he returned his attention to his menu.

"What can I get you to drink?" The waiter asked softly, seemingly appearing out of nowhere.

"Um…water please." Kanae said softly.

Yukihito frowned in thought. 'Will she be upset if I order wine? She's not old enough to drink…I'd probably better not.' "I'll have the same." He smiled at the waiter who nodded and disappeared.

"I had to start extra early today." Yukihito thought he was going to have a heart attack. 'She…she's trying to have a conversation with me!' "I hate getting up so early, but the filming for the drama that I just started had to be delayed a few days because of an emergency in the director's family, but he wanted to catch up for lost time. So we get started, and the moron he hired as a lead actress STILL didn't know her lines! Even I know her lines!" Yukihito smirked. "Then I had to do paperwork for three hours! Three hours of straight paperwork!" She shook her head. "And then the President has me fill out these stupid love surveys! Ugh. Then, to top it all off, before my filming at 3, I had to decorate the LME lobby... for Christmas!"

"Um…it's only April." He said with a laugh.

"Yea. Christmas in July he calls it."

"But...July isn't for another three months."

"I don't argue with the President anymore." Yukihito laughed loudly and Kanae noticed a few people looking over at them with small smiles. She looked at Yukihito as he laughed and realized that her heart was speeding up. She grabbed her water glass which, at some point, had materialized in front of her, and took a sip. 'Don't do it, Kanae. Don't give into this stupid emotion. I can't do this. I can't! It's just…he's really nice. I don't meet many nice guys.'

The waiter appeared again and pulled out his notepad. "What can I get you this evening?" Yukihito motioned for Kanae to go first and she opened her menu.

"The grilled chicken and a salad please."

"Hmm…" Yukihito skimmed the menu again. "This steak. Medium well. And the mixed vegetables. Thank you." The waiter nodded briefly as he took their menus and left. "So, have you ever done this before?"

"I've eaten at a few nice restaurants." Kanae affected an offended tone and Yukihito laughed a little.

"No. I meant going on a date."

"Um…." She looked away. "Not really. Never when it wasn't for acting."

"Really? Why not?"

She sighed. 'I might as well just tell him now. He's going to keep asking.' "I'm an actress, Yukihito. It's what I've wanted to do since I was little, and I will not let anything stand in the way of that."  
>"Kanae, my entire career revolves around supporting an actor. Why would I stand in the way of that?" His smile made her heart skip and she had to fight not to smile back.<br>"You don't get it, do you?" She sighed and took another drink. "I'm NOT a trophy, Yukihito. Nor am a some man's servant. I'm not spending my life picking up after someone else."

"Hmm. Well I don't blame you there, but I tend to pick up after myself."

"Yukihito, I don't want a family." The girl finally cried. "And no offense, but you're a lot older than I am. Don't tell me you want to start getting serious about a girl who is a workaholic and who has no interest in children."

Yukihito gave her a small smile. "Kanae, I wanted to take you out because I like you, and because I was interested in getting to know you better, which, I must say, is quite difficult." He ignored her offended glare. "I'm not planning our wedding or making a list of names for our children." Kanae blushed. "I just wanted to take you out. The rest can wait, but I must say that I would never expect you to quit your job if you didn't want to, nor would I want you to. Is that okay?"

'He…he's serious? He…he doesn't care that I don't want a family? Well, he's still here, so he must be serious. "That's fine." She smiled a little, and talk turned to lighter subjects for a while. Much to Yukihito's relief, there was no more fighting. She even let him pay without complaining or insisting that she take care of half. When he dropped her off at her house, she invited him in and pulled a pie out of the freezer. "It's not much, but I bought it a while ago because it looked good." He waited for her to heat it up and they ate it on her sofa.

At the end of the night, Kanae saw him to the door. "Can we do this again?" He asked softly, and she almost laughed at the fear in his voice.

"Sure. I'll fax you my schedule and you can just stop by without telling me anytime." He laughed.

"It's a deal." He hesitated once the door was opened. "One more question." He looked down at her. "Can I kiss you?" It was nearly a whisper, but Kanae heard perfectly. She gave the tiniest of nods and, to her surprise, he kissed her cheek gently, then stepped outside. "Goodnight Kanae."  
>"Goodnight Yukihito."<p>

**A/N: Mostly Kanae and Yukihito...but I wanted them to go out sometime. I hope you like it! :)**


	21. Facing the Past

**A/N: I don't own Skip beat, Book of A Thousand Days, or any other accidental references I may make. I do own the characters that no one else does. :D**

**So by the way, the last chapter ended on Friday night. It was getting kind of long, so I didn't want to go back to Kyoko. So just so you know, Kuu gave Kyoko the laptop on Thursday, then this chapter, then Kanae's date with Yukihito. :D Sorry if that was confusion. **

**Just a question…I have no idea what to name Kuu's agency. Any ideas? You'll get credit if I use it ;) Thanks everyone! **

Chapter 21: Facing the Past

On Friday morning, Kyoko sat in the passenger seat in one of Kuu's many cars on the way to the training school. They chatted about their scripts and the agency and whatever else came to mind until Kuu parked in the back of the building. "You ready?" He asked softly as they sat in the car. She stared ahead at the building, trying to find Rosa. Giving up momentarily, she nodded.

"I'm ready." She said, a determined glint in her eyes. Kuu laughed quietly.

"Kyoko," He said as she climbed out of the car and he looked at her over the top of the car. "You do realize that this isn't an audition. Nor is it an interview. It's just me enrolling you in school." He laughed a little at her surprised look. "Did you have to have an interview or an audition to get into LME's school?"

"Um…no. I just sort of assumed that I would have to here." She laughed a little, rubbing the back of her head, embarrassed. "So I wont have to have any kind of interview?"

He laughed a little. "Probably not. The head of the school will probably want to have a word with you, but nothing formal. They are going to accept you into the school. It's an unwritten rule that if you are a part of the agency, you can get in." She smiled.

Thinking back to LME's training school, she was suddenly reminded of Maria. 'I haven't even contacted her! Oh poor Maria! She probably thinks I've forgotten about her. I'm so sorry Maria! I need to call her…or email her. She emails her father, right? Maybe she'll speak to me if I apologize.' Kuu looked over and saw the terrified look in her eyes.

"Um…are you okay?" He asked softly, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Maria!" She cried.

"Maria?" He repeated with a confused frown.

"Maria Takarada! President Takarada's granddaughter! I haven't called her or told the President to tell her what happened or anything!" Large dramatic tears poured from her eyes, creating a small puddle around the girl. "What if she won't forgive me! What if she hates me now?" Kuu just stared at the girl in astonishment.

"H…hey! Kyoko." He looked around nervously. "I'm sure she'll forgive you. Just call her! Or…ask the boss for her email. Okay? She's going to be fine. Just explain what happened…okay?"

The pool around her feet suddenly dried up and she smiled brightly, a little flower popping out of her head. "Do you really think so?" She asked sweetly.

"Um…yes." He smiled nervously, hoping that he was right and wondered how the flower got there. "Now…are you ready?" He asked softly.

"Yes." She said happily.

Rosa resurfaced as soon as they reached the office and walked in with Kuu. She smiled at the receptionist who looked up when they entered.

"Can I help you, Mr. Hizuri?" The woman asked with a smile. Kyoko was surprised to see that the woman had pink streaks in her hair, which she kept short and choppy.

"Hey Tanya. I would like to see the head of the school please."

The woman laughed a little and stood. "Sure. Let me get her. You can sit down."

Rosa sat next to Kuu, hands folded in her lap and stared straight ahead. He grabbed a magazine and thumbed through it for a while. When the head of the acting school appeared behind Tanya, Rosa gave a hesitant smile. A man had been at her audition, but this was obviously a different person. "Hey Rosa. Nice to meet you." She shook the girl's hand. "Hello Kuu. How's it going?"

"I'm good Mariah. You?"

"Fine." She smiled then turned to Kyoko. "Hey. I've heard a lot about you from the President. Sorry I had to send the co-head to your audition. I really wanted to be there but was…indisposed." She gave a sly smile and Kuu laughed a little.

"How's the baby?" He asked softly.

The young woman laughed, flashing two rows of perfect teeth and a tongue ring. "He's wonderful when he's not screaming." Kuu laughed knowingly. Mariah looked back down at Rosa. "So you wanna join the acting school?"

"Yes." Kyoko couldn't help slipping out of character a little. "I was attending another acting school in Japan but had to leave. Since I am a part of this agency, I thought it might be helpful."

"Okay. Come on back and we can talk. Kuu, can you do the paperwork with my sister?"

"Sure." He smiled and walked over to Tanya, giving Kyoko a comforting wink over his shoulder. Kyoko followed the woman through a doorway and down a short hallway to a room with no sign.

"Alright. Let's talk." Mariah said cheerfully, pulling Kyoko with her to a large office with a small desk in the back. She sat behind the desk and motioned to a comfortable looking chair on the other side. Mariah pulled out a folder with Kyoko's name on it while the girl sat down. "Kuu called this morning and I had Jeremy send me your folder in between phone calls." Kyoko laughed before she could stop herself, and Mariah joined her. "Isn't he horrible? Drives me crazy when I'm trying to have a conversation with the guy and he has a phone on his ear. Who could he possibly be talking to?" She shook her head and pulled her hair back out of her face. "Anyway, your name is Kyoko, originally from Japan, you have no acting experience listed because of some unspecified issues, but you completed the 'Confidence' commercial with no trouble, and you did some modeling, though you did not sign with an agency." She took a breath. "So why are you an actress?"

Kyoko was taken aback at the woman's hurried list of her credentials but smiled after a second. "I started acting to find myself." She said quietly. "And I love it. It was the first thing I ever did for myself, and it makes me happy." She gave a soft smile as she remembered acting for Dark Moon, the thrill of creating another person, and the challenges that she had overcome with the help of her friends.

Mariah smiled at the young girl. "Are you only interested in the acting school? Do you want any musical training, dance training, or model training?"

"Um…I was only focusing on the acting, but the musical and dance training could be helpful." She said with a small smile.

"Okay. Are you working on anything now?"

"Um…I'm about to start filming on a movie called "A Thousand Days."

"Oh. Director Song! Which character are you?"

"Dashti."

"The lead!"

"Yes." She looked at the floor, coloring in embarrassment.

"That's fantastic. Congratulations. I can't wait to see it. So, I'll get the schedule from her and we'll make you a schedule of classes. I'm assuming you want mostly acting classes, but I'm going to try and get you into a voice class, probably something small or even one on one training so that if you ever want to expand into singing, you have somewhere to start. Also, ballet will be necessary. You'd be amazed at the number of movies that require some ballet. Hmm…and a modern dance class. That is getting popular. If you can combine ballet and modern dance, you have a great workout." She laughed. "How do you think I got my figure back after the baby?" She winked at the girl who was now laughing along with the cheerful woman.

'So I guess I was wrong. There are some nice people here.' "That sounds fantastic. Thank you so much." Kyoko smiled and shook the woman's hand.

"Of course. I think Kuu should be done by now. He'll give me your email, and I can send you your schedule. You'll start in a week or so, but most of your classes won't begin until next week because you'll be starting your filming. Any questions?"

"I don't think so."

"Awesome. Come on, then." They exited into the office where Kuu was handing a stack of paperwork to Tanya. "Thanks, Kuu."

"No problem. See you Tanya, Mariah. Ready Rosa?"

Kyoko nodded and followed him into the hallway.

They walked into the hallway and Kuu turned to her. "Did you want to hang around here, or did you want to call Jack to take you home? I have filming in about…" He checked his watch. "thirty minutes. You can come if you want, but it might be a while." He asked softly as they made their way to the parking lot.

"Um…I'll just stay here for a while then go home." She smiled brightly. He stopped and looked back at her.

"Alright." He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead softly. "I'll see you tonight. If you want to go home, call Jack." She didn't answer as he hurried away to get to his job. She checked her phone. 9:00 in the morning. It was too late in Tokyo to call anyone, but she wanted to contact Maria as soon as possible. She wandered the halls, looking for a computer lab. She finally found one in the back of the school and, as quickly as possible since she didn't know if she was allowed to be on it, logged into her email and sent one to the President (whose email she knew from the LME website) asking for Maria's email address and explaining why she wanted it.

Next, she grabbed her bag and began the walk home. She smiled at the bright sunshine and the warm air. 'It feels so nice outside…it is probably really cold in Tokyo. It's nice to walk for a change. I feel like I haven't been getting enough exercise here in America, and I miss stretching my legs. Maybe I'll go to the beach.' Her thoughts wandered until her phone started vibrated in her pocket and she pulled it out, reading the screen before flipping the device open. "Hello?"

"Hey Kyoko. I'm on break. Are you still at the training school?"

"Hmm? No. I'm on my way home."

"Oh. Okay." He hesitated. "With Jack, right?" He asked quietly.

"Um…well…no. I just thought I would walk." She said quickly. "It's really nice out. I was able to send an email to Maria and…"

"Kyoko." She winced at the cheerful voice. 'Just like Ren….' "Why didn't you just call Jack to take you home?"

"Because it would have been a waste of his time, Father." She said reasonably. "It's not far and I walk all the time when I'm in Tokyo. Actually, I either walked or rode my bike everywhere, so it's not a big deal."

Kuu sighed on the other end. "Kyoko, it just makes me feel better when I know that you're safe." He said softly. Realizing that this could turn into a bigger deal than he wanted it to be, he let it go. "Just be careful, okay?"

"I will be. I promise." He smiled at her reassuring voice.

* * *

><p>Kuri sat in her room, arms tucked around her legs. A knock on her door alerted her to her father's presence. "Hey sweetie." He said softly.<p>

"Hey Dad." She rested her head on her knees, knowing that this conversation had been inevitable.

He sat across from her on the bed, crossing his legs. Looking at his daughter, he could sort of see his wife, but Kuri looked more like himself. The eyes that looked golden one second and a soft, mousey brown the next were the only thing that had split between his wife and himself. 'She's only 15, but she looks older.' He thought fondly. 'She acts older too…but this is going to be hard on her.' "I regret it." He said softly. "I regret the mistakes that I made, and the fact that I have another daughter that I never had the chance to know. I regret that a little girl had to grow up without a family because of my mistakes." He reached over and pulled his daughter into his arms. "But most of all, I regret doing this to you." He whispered into her hair. "I'm so so sorry. I know that you can never really forgive me, and that I let you down, but I want you to know that I am so sorry, baby." He clenched his teeth, not willing to let himself cry in front of his little girl.

"Of course I forgive you." She said softly, looking up at him with her gentle eyes. He could see it in her eyes. She wasn't telling the truth, but she was trying to forgive him, trying to understand the fact that her father was also a man.

"But you don't want to meet her?" She looked at the floor, pain in her eyes. "You don't have to. Not yet. She'll probably never live with us, but I would appreciate it if you would think about meeting her sometime." She nodded and he left her alone.

* * *

><p>Kyoko sat in the pool-room, flipping through her script. She decided to work on some of her lines from the first narration. Closing her eyes, she transported herself into this girl's world and saw herself as Dashti, a maid to a wealthy, spoiled young woman by chance. She didn't know this woman very well, but she had given her word, and she never broke her word. She took a deep breath and imagined a book in front of her in which she would write her thoughts. "My lady and I are being shut up in a tower for seven years." She said quietly, matter of factly, except for the small tremor in her voice. "Lady Saren is sitting on the floor, staring at the wall, and hasn't moved even to scratch for an hour. Poor thing. It's a shame."<p>

Jack leaned against the wall outside, listening to the young girl's voice. Smiling softly, he listened as she brought the script to life, reminding him so much of young Kuon when he had first begun acting. 'But Kuon was always fighting with the directors, refusing to put enough work into his acting. Now look at him. He's the number one actor in Japan.'

He began to listen again. Now there was resignation in the girl's voice. "The men are bricking up the door, and I hear them muttering and scraping cement. Only a small square of unbricked sky and light still gape at me." 'She's better.' He laughed a little, silently. 'She's better than he was, and she'll catch up to him soon, but I have a feeling he's looking forward to it.'

* * *

><p>Kuu picked up his vibrating phone as he sat in his dressing room. "Hello?"<p>

"Hey Dad." Thevoice was soft, and Kuu closed his eyes.

"Hello Kuon. What's the occasion?"

"I didn't really get to say goodbye and…" His son sighed. "I miss you."

"I miss you too. Always have."

"I'm sorry."

"We've been through this, boy." Kuu said roughly, rubbing the tears that suddenly stung his eyes. "What are you up to?"

"I'm on break." Kuu didn't ask why his son's voice was bordering on a whisper. "I have something I need to talk to you about."

"Talk away. I'm listening." He heard his son take a deep breath before he began. He smiled, settling into the chair. He was done for the day, so he wasn't in any hurry. It wasn't every day he got a call from his son.

* * *

><p>Kuu came in late that night, after spending an hour on the phone with Kuon, and was in a good mood. "I'm home!" He called. When he heard no response, he frowned a little. 'Strange…she usually comes running to tell me hello…. I haven't spoken to her today since she called when she was walking home…' He hurried upstairs and, after knocking, found her room empty. Then, knowing how she liked the poolroom, he headed downstairs, glancing into the empty kitchen as he went. He was surprised to find Jack sitting against the wall, sound asleep. He cocked an eyebrow and opened the door to the poolroom; smiling when he found the girl asleep in a chair, script dangling from her hand. Scooping her into his arms as slowly and gently as possible so as not to wake her, he carried her into the living room and laid her on the sofa, covering her with a throw. Then, after nudging Jack awake, he went into the kitchen and began to make them dinner.<p>

* * *

><p>Kyoko opened her eyes groggily. 'I feel asleep reading my script. I wonder if Father…wait…I'm really comfortable. This isn't the poolroom." She looked around the living room and at the blanket wrapped around her. 'What's that smell?' She sat up and heard chopping in the kitchen. Standing, she kept the blanket wrapped around her and made her way across the hall. "Father? When did you get home" She asked with a happy, if groggy, smile.<p>

He smiled up at her from the vegetables that he was chopping. "Good morning, sunshine." He teased her. "I got home about a half hour ago. I thought I'd make us some dinner. How did you manage to fall asleep in there?" He asked with a little laugh.

"Hehe. I was reading my script. I guess I just wanted to sit for a little while and rest."

"You're going to have a hard time sleeping tonight. Wanna help me chop vegetables?" She smiled and nodded. Looking over at his daughter as she chopped the vegetables with ease, just like a professional chef, he gave a soft smile. 'If only my wife and son were here, everything with be perfect…preferable if my son and daughter were married…and there were a few kids…' He smiled as he disappeared into his own dream world, one that involved a large family and a large house next door to his own.

* * *

><p>Once Kyouta reentered the living room, he picked up the phone. Taking a few deep breaths, he dialed the number on the paper and held it to his ear. Waiting as the phone rang, he clenched the receiver in his shaking hands.<p>

"Hello?" The cold voice made him grimace as he remembered everything he had learned in the last few days.

"Hello Saena. It's Kyouta. Remember me?"

**A/N: Hehe. Cliffhanger. That was fun. Sorry if this chapter is sort of boring…and I'm also sorry for any typos. I'm really trying to catch them all…but as you all probably know, MS Word can't catch everything, and neither can I. If I make any big mistakes, please tell me and I will do my best to fix them. Please review (if you want to) and let me know what you think.**


	22. Secrets

**A/N: I hope you guys like this chapter. Thank you so much to Lady of the Hunt for reading throught it. Please let me know what you think. I appreciate all the reviews so much!**

**By the way, does anyone else miss Franky House? I loved that site and now it is gone :( I hope it comes back. Anyone have any info?**

Chapter 22: Secrets

It was Saturday, and Kyouta pulled up in front of a house in Kyoto, only a few miles away from his own. The rain poured from the sky, giving the day a dreary, cold look. Grey clouds hung in the air, and the distant sound of thunder made him jump. 'How fitting.' He thought in amusement, then stepped out of his car. 'Too bad I forgot the umbrella.' Pulling a manila folder out of his back seat, he held it close and hurried to the front door. Stepping onto the porch, he knocked softly on the door. When Saena opened the door, all he could think of were the stories Lory had told him about the woman's treatment of his eldest daughter. Immediatley the image of Kuri came into his mind, and he shook his head. 'Don't think that. I can't think about that. I'm doing this to help Kyoko.' "Good morning. Come in." Her eyes held no warmth, only cold hatred. 'I guess I deserve that…'

"Good morning, Saena."

"Mogami-san will be fine, Tanaka-san." She informed him icily.

"Of course." He followed her inside and fought not to flinch when she slammed the door behind them. She led him to the living room and he sat on the offered sofa.

"Would you like anything to drink?"

"Coffee if you have it, thank you." He gave his own cold smile and she nodded, leaving him alone for a moment. He placed the manila folder on the sofa beside him as he waited. When she returned with two cups, he took one and she perched on a chair across from him.

"You wanted to meet with me?"

"How have you been?" He managed a light tone but he caught her rolling her eyes.

"Wonderfully. And you?" She snapped.

"Very well. Except for a recent discovery, the last few years have been almost exclusively uneventful." He grinned, but let his anger shine through his eyes.

"Hmm."

"Why didn't you tell me?" He let the smile slip and gave her a cold glare.

"Why didn't I tell you what? That after you had sex with me, then left to marry another woman, I was pregnant with your child? Because you were so reliable and I was so sure that you would help me out." Her voice was dripping with sarcasm and he sighed.

"I make no excuses for what I did."

"Good! It was your fault."

"If I recall, it takes two to make a child." He said dryly.

"It was your fault that you left!" She snapped.

"Yes. I know. But it was your fault that you didn't try harder to contact me." He spoke firmly. "It was also your fault that you chose to treat Kyoko in the way you did, and it was your fault that you abandoned her." Her eyes opened in surprise, but he went on. "I want custody Saena."

"What!" She cried. "How dare you come here after all this time and…"

"I'm getting custody Saena." His voice was suddenly ice cold and he let the absolute hatred he now had for this woman show. "I know what you did to her, and I'm getting custody. You are not making my daughter marry the son of one of your business partners so that you can make more money." She was taken aback by the cold determination in his voice and sat her coffee cup down, crossing her arms. "I will do whatever it takes to make sure that you never hurt that girl again."

"You know where she is?" Saena's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"That is none of your business."

"You can't prove that she's your daughter, Tanaka-san."

He smirked. "Already have." He pulled the top paper out of the folder and passed it to her.

"How did you get a DNA sample?" She snarled.

"Also none of your business."

"You can't keep hiding her from me, Tanaka-san! She's my daughter! I am her guardian!"

"Not for long." He said confidently.

Saena was silent for a few moments, gripping the piece of paper that was clenched in her hand. "And she's willing to make all of this public?" She asked softly.

"If it makes it possible for her to resume her career here, she'll tell every one of your dirty secrets." He said dryly. "You have no idea how many people love her, how many people, powerful people, are standing between you and that girl, and who are going to do everything they can to keep you away from her. Now…" He picked up the folder and sat it on the coffee table. "I'm giving you a chance. These are custody papers for Kyoko. All you have to do is follow the directions on the first page, fill them out, and mail them to me." He stood. "I'll give you some time to think about it."

"What if I say no, Tanaka-san?"

"Then I'll expose you for what you are. And you'll lose your business and your reputation, along with your daughter."

* * *

><p>Kanae paced back and forth in her apartment. 'I don't believe this. He asked me on another date…another DATE! I'm going on a second date with Yukihito! Tsuruga's manager! My best friend's…whatever Tsuruga is to her at this point's manager! Why did I agree to this! Why do we have to go somewhere tonight? We just went out last night! What does he want? What am I going to wear?' She paused, her eyes widening. "Why does it matter!" She asked her empty apartment.<p>

* * *

><p>Maria sat in front of her computer screen, reading the email with tear-filled eyes.<p>

"Dear Maria-chan,

I can never apologize enough for not contacting you before now. I am so so sorry, and I just wanted you to know that even if you never forgive me, I love you and miss you so much. I had to leave LME because of my mother, and I had to run away from her because she was going to make me marry someone I don't know. I was afraid, and I wasn't able to tell anyone goodbye. There is no excuse for not contacting you before, and I am so sorry. I am working in America now. Maybe you can come visit me some time in America with your grandfather, but if you don't want to, I understand. I will see you when I return to Japan this December.

Your big sister,

Kyoko."

"Grandfather!" She called. He peeked into her room.

"Yes?"

"I want to visit Onee-san!"

* * *

><p>Ren stared at his hands. His living room seemed too empty and quiet after leaving his family and Kyoko. Emailing, talking on the phone, daydreaming about her…it wasn't enough. Not after holding her, kissing her, telling her that he loved her, and then hearing her say it back. 'But…the conversation with my Dad…should I have done that? Am I really ready to do this?" He felt himself shaking and forced himself to take a deep breath. 'Calm down. I'm fine. It's fine. I'm the number one actor in Japan, right? A thousand polls have said so. I'm ready. I need to do this.' He picked up his phone and dialed her number, desperate to hear her voice.<p>

"Hello?" The tension escaped from his body as soon as he heard her beautiful voice.

"Hey Kyoko." He said softly.

"Ren!" He could hear the excitement in her voice and it made him smile. "How are you? Have you eaten? You know you have to…." She stopped when she heard him laughing.

"Yes I ate." He couldn't stop smiling. "I miss you." His eyes filled and he dug his nails into his palms.

She paused for a second. "I miss you too. So much." Suddenly her eyes lit up. "I got the lead role! In the movie!"

Corn already knew, but Ren was ecstatic. "Congratulations! I'm so proud of you. Are you excited? This is your first lead."

"I'm really excited! I've been reading over the script and I love the character. I can't wait to start Monday. Oh! And I'm in the acting school." His smile widened, if possible, and he laughed gently.

"I assume you asked Kuu."  
>"Yes. You were right." She mumbled reluctantly, making him laugh out loud.<p>

"Of course." She smirked, rolling her eyes. "So how was work?"

"Hmm. Not bad."

"What about Box R? Have they found a new actress?"

"Um...no." He went over to his laptop and looked up the drama to check his facts. "No. They are making another one of the bullies the head and saying that Natsu moved…or something. They expect the drama to take a hit."

Kyoko sighed and clenched her fists in her lap. "I hate that." She said as she held the phone to her ear with her shoulder. "I hate that I'm letting them all down."

"I know." He said gently. "But hey…it's not your fault."

"Has the President made any headway?"

He sighed. 'I can't tell her…the President has told me again and again not to say anything…. but doesn't she deserve to know?' "Yes. Quite a lot actually."

"Really? Why do you say that?"

"Well…Kyoko…" He sighed. 'I can't…' "If I tell you something, do you think you keep it a secret that you know?" He asked softly.

"What do you mean?"

'I shouldn't be doing this…I really shouldn't…. But she needs to know.' "Lory found someone who should be able to get custody."

"Really?" Her voice was wary, which he could understand.

"Kyoko I'm not supposed to be saying anything about this…"

"Um…don't you think that maybe I should be informed about some of this…like who is going to become my legal guardian? Why doesn't the President want me to know!" She was incredulous and he wasn't surprised.

"Kyoko…keep your voice down. Listen, Lory told Kuu and I found out by accident, but it's a secret. Lory's orders."

"Okay. Fine." Her voice was cold.

"Kyoko…he doesn't want to hurt you, but I think you should know."

"Why would it hurt me?"

"It's your father."

The phone slipped from Kyoko's hands. Shaking she watched it sit on the floor, Ren's voice coming through the receiver, small and distant. "Kyoko! Hey are you there? Kyoko answer me!"

The words echoed through her mind. Finally she managed to kneel beside the phone and pick it up. "I'm sorry. I think I misheard you. What did you say."

"Kyoko please don't be angry." Ren pleaded with her.

"I'm not angry at you."

"Don't be angry at them either. Please. He didn't want you to get hurt and…"

"How did he find my father? Wait…no…who is he? What did he…why…" Her voice was breaking and Ren interrupted her.

"His name is Tanaka Kyouta. He had an affair with your mother when he was young. He married and had a daughter." He heard her sob softly and kept going. "He never knew about you Kyoko. Your mother didn't tell him, but she put his name on your birth certificate. Later, she doctored the document so you wouldn't know."

"Oh." It was the only sound she could manage at the moment.

"Kyoko, I'm so sorry. I don't know what to say." She could hear the pain in his voice and tried desperately to calm down.

"What…um…what's he like?"

He smiled a little at her attempt at a normal voice, but his heart broke for her. "You look like him." He said softly, and she let her head drop into her hands. Tears streamed down her face as he went on. "He's kind. He loves his other daughter, your little sister. Her name is Kuri." He stopped when he heard her sob again.

"I could have had a family." She whimpered. "A normal family, with people that loved me. Maybe then I wouldn't have been so messed up." Her voice broke and she sobbed again.

Ren's heart clenched and his arms ached. He wanted to hold her, to calm her down, to promise that she could have that family that loved her, now and forever. Instead, he took a deep breath. "You are not messed up. And you have me. I love you. You have a family. They love you. Kanae, Maria, the President…they all care so much for you. And now you have another family that just wants to help you."

"I can't." Her voice was completely broken and he could have cried for her. "Please…I just can't right now."

"Okay." His voice was so gentle, she could almost feel his arms around her, could nearly smell his scent. "It's okay, Kyoko. You don't have to. Not now. I just…I thought you should know."

"Thank you." She whispered. "For telling me. I won't tell anyone that you did." She promised.

"Okay. Just remember, you have Kuu and Julie. They are your parents. But Kyouta is trying to get custody. If he does, you won't have to talk to him until you are ready. And I'll be there."

She nodded, not realizing that he couldn't see her. Then, she let the phone fall from her hands, rested her face in the pillow, and cried.

* * *

><p>This is how Kuu found her about half an hour later; curled into a ball, face in her pillow, crying her heart out. Stunned, he looked at the phone on the floor and realized that it was still connected. He picked up the device and held it to his ear. "Hello?" He asked hesitantly.<p>

"Hello Mr. Hizuri."  
>"Ren…what's going on? What's wrong with her?"<p>

"Nothing." The lie made Kuu furious.

"Ren Tsuruga, what did you do!" He snarled, sitting next to Kyoko and placing a hand on her back. She didn't respond.

"Kuu…it doesn't matter. She'll be fine."

"Oh Ren…tell me you didn't tell her…"

"About what?"

"About what the President found."

"You mean her father? Yea. I did. But don't tell the President. He may fire me."

"You idiot." Kuu groaned and placed a hand on his forehead, then pinched the bridge of his nose. The pain and exhaustion in his son's voice kept the real anger from emerging.

"She needed to know, Dad."

"I'm going to try and talk to her. Goodbye, Ren."

"Bye Dad."

Kuu stared at the girl for a second but realized that there was nothing he could say. Not now. Instead, he lay down beside her and pulled her close, moving a little when she twisted and curled against him. She cried into his chest, her entire body shaking, and all he could do was hold her. The only words she could manager were 'I can't.' He didn't respond, only held her close and rubbed her back. "It's going to be okay." He finally promised. "It's going to be fine. You don't have to deal with this now. You don't ever have to if you don't want to. I'll protect you." He whispered. "No one's going to hurt you. You're safe." Again and again he promised, until she was able to stop crying and took a deep shuddering breath. "Okay?" He asked, looking down at her. She nodded, red eyed, but he could tell she was still shaking. It was too early for her to stay in bed, and he doubted she would be able to sleep right now. He took her hand and pulled her downstairs with him.

Sitting her down on the sofa, he grabbed a blanket and sat next her, wrapping it around them, and turned the TV on. He put an arm around her shoulder and let her lean against him. "Mindless TV always makes me feel better." He told her softly. "You can tell me whatever you want. Or you can just watch…" He pushed information and read the description. "…this TV show about a sponge." Sighing, he shook his head. 'I hate this show.'

Two episodes later, she stopped shaking. "I'm scared." She managed to whisper. "I…you're my father. I can't have two."

"Of course you can." He assured her, rubbing her shoulder.

"He has a daughter, and she's going to hate me, and he'll be upset and blame me and…"

"No." His voice was stern, catching her attention. "Stop that. I'm not going to let you do that. You are just making horrible things up, like a little child trying to scare itself. You don't know anything about this man." She nodded quietly and he squeezed her. "Do you want to meet him? I'll take care of it if you do."

She shook her head. "I can't." She whispered. "Not yet."

He smiled a little. "If you want, I can fly Ren out here too." She smiled a little for the first time since Ren had told her, but shook her head.

"I…I just want to focus on the filming now. If he gets custody…then I might see him." Kuu nodded.

"Okay. I won't force you, or try to convince you. This is completely up to you. Just let me know if you change your mind."  
>"…Father?"<p>

"Hmm?"

"Can we please watch something else?"

He laughed and handed her the remote. "I'd love to."

* * *

><p>"Can't anyone keep a secret around here!" Ren sighed and massaged his temples as Lory yelled at him.<p>

"Kuu told you?"

"I managed to get it out of him." Lory said dryly. Kyouta sighed from the side of the room and shook his head. "Ren, I didn't want her to know yet."

"But she needed to!" Ren cried. "She deserved to know. You can't keep things like that from her because you are afraid to hurt her. She's not a baby. You're talking about someone getting custody of her. That's not something you hide from someone."

"It's fine." Kyouta said softly. He smiled a little at Ren. "Actually, I'm glad she knows. Thank you. Is she okay?"

Ren sighed and gave the man a small smile. "She'll be fine. She was pretty shocked, but Kuu talked to her and I'm sure she's okay now."

"Does she want to…to meet me?" He asked, and Ren nearly flinched at the man's desperately hopeful expression.

"I don't think she's ready for that yet." He told the man gently. "I'm sure she'll want to soon, but not just yet." Kyouta nodded, hiding his crestfallen expression as best as he could.

"Of course. I understand." He shrugged. "Kuri is the same. I think it will be a while before those two are going to be ready to meet... I guess I just sort of hoped…" He trailed off…a sad smile on his face. "Oh well. I guess I shouldn't be surprised." Ren nodded and turned back to the President who was glaring at them.

"President, it's done." Ren told him, arms crossed, as he leaned against the wall. "Now what?"

"Now we see if Kyouta's meeting with Saena worked." Kyouta's eyes grew to the size of saucers.

"How…how did you…"

"He knows everything, Tanaka-san." Ren said with a hand on the stunned man's shoulder


	23. Cast Meeting

**A/N: Finally we (sort of) begin the making of the movie. Let me know what you all think about it.**

**A/N: I think I got most of the errors this time. Sorry if you received another chapter alert.**

Chapter 23: Cast Meeting

**A Thousand Days**

**Main Characters- Casting**

**Dashti (Rosa): Mucker maid whose mistress is locked in a tower. She falls in love with Khan Tegus but must hide her identity because of her mistress's orders.**

**Lady Saren (Halee): A member of the gentry who is locked in a tower because of her refusal to marry Lord Khasar.**

**Khan Tegus (Zach): The man Lady Saren promised to marry but was unable to because of her father.**

**Lord Khasar (Ian): The man Lady Saren's father promised her to but who she refused. He is a ruthless ruler who has promised his soul in exchange for the powers of a wolf.**

Maya looked around at the group of actors as they studied the cover of their scripts. "There will, of course, be more actors, but you four will be the main characters. I am Maya Song, as you probably know, and I will be directing the movie." She motioned to the blonde next to her who hurried to introduce herself.

"Hello. I'm Halee. I'll be playing Lady Saren." She offered a small smile at everyone. Kyoko studied her. She had long hair that framed her small face. Everything about the girl was small, and she was a little shorter than Kyoko. Her eyes were a cool blue, and her teeth were impossibly white.

Next was Kyoko's turn. "Hello. I'm Rosa." Rosa said with a soft smile. "I'll be playing Dashti. Nice to meet you all." The others nodded politely, and Maya tried to hide her excitement.

Kyoko looked at the man across from her. 'He's probably Ren's age, although he isn't quite as tall.' The man's hair was black and his eyes were a striking green. "Hey. I'm Zach." He waved a little. "I'm going to be acting as Khan Tegus." He gave everyone a friendly grin, letting his gaze linger on Kyoko, who gave him a distant smile and turned her attention back to the last person to introduce himself.

The man next to Zach was about Yashiro's age, maybe a little older, and had fair brown hair and eyes to match. His smile was gentle, if excited. "Good morning. I'm Ian. I'll be playing Lord Khasar." He said with a big smile, obviously happy with the role. Everyone laughed a little when he stressed the word 'lord.' Kyoko stared at him, hiding her surprise. 'Can such a kind looking man play such an evil character?' She wondered, ignoring the irony.

"Okay, Rosa, Halee, Zach, Ian, I want to have you guys read through a few scenes today. Actual filming will start tomorrow with the rest of the crew. I'm going to give you all a schedule at the end of this meeting." They all nodded. "All right. First, Rosa, Halee, this scene." She handed Kyoko and Halee two sheets of paper with the scene printed on it and Kyoko wondered why she didn't just tell them the page number. Shrugging the thought away, she closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath, letting Dashti take control. She remembered everything that happened until this point and let her eyes squint and her mouth turn down.

'I'm so sick of being in this tower. I'm so tired of sewing and killing rats all day. "My lady, our food supply's in peril. We have to be careful." 'I can't let her eat all of our food, even if I do feel sorry for her.'

"It doesn't matter. We won't last seven years anyway." For a moment, Kyoko slipped. 'She's not Lady Saren! Her voice is tired, but that's it. There's no hopelessness, no hidden sadness or torment or even frustration. Just tired.' Kyoko waited for her to go on, dissatisfied. "Dashti, would you have married Lord Khasar?" 'I'll make her act the way I want her to.'

Dashti's reply was immediate and adamant. "No!" She cried, meeting Lady Saren's eyes with surprise. "I'm a mucker. I couldn't marry a member of the gentry!" There was a bit of fear in her voice, even a little awe.

"But." 'There. She's getting better. "Imagine. If you were me, would you?"

Dashti looked down, thought of the scary man that had visited them, then thought of the kind Khan that Lady Saren had fallen in love with. 'What would I have chosen? NO! Stop that!' Unbeknownst to Kyoko, the others were looking at her in surprise at the thoughts that flickered across her expressive face. 'Even thinking of marrying gentry is a gross sin! She's wrong to even make me think it!' "You do what you think's best, my lady. If you'd rather wed Lord Khasar than be in this tower another day, I'll stay with you all the same."

Lady Saren smiled softly, making her face light up. "I know I should have married Lord Khasar. I was born to marry. That's my only purpose."

Dashti's eyes widened. "That can't be, my lady!" She cried.

"My father told me so when I was small enough to sit on his knee. I'm the third child. I used to dream I'd be chief of animals one day. I like animals. But my father said I'm too dull witted. And besides, I'm gentry. The third child of a ruling lord is only fit for marrying off to other gentry." Dashti looked at her in sad surprise, and Lady Saren smiled at her. "You're my best friend, Dashti." She said softly, and girls smiled at each other.

"Cut! Wow." Maya stared at the girls in shock. 'Rosa…she led her. They were just reading, and she led her!' "Um…great. Thank you. Now…Rosa, Zach, this scene."

Dashti opened her eyes. She was terrified. Khan Tegus was calling for Lady Saren, but she was too afraid to talk to him, so she sent Dashti to speak to him through the waste flap at the base of the tower. "Khan…. Khan Tegus." She stuttered. "Um…I'm h…. here. La…Ss…Saren."

"My lady, I am so sorry. I came to reason with your father, but he wouldn't attend me! I've counseled with my war chief and he says if we attack your father outright, we have a good hope of winning, but we'll incur terrible fatalities on both sides. I thought…. I imagined you wouldn't want me to do that." His voice was so sad. Dashti winced.

"Of course not!" She reassured him. "Don't worry!" Her voice was falsely cheerful. "We have loads of food, even five bags of sugar, and enough dried yogurt to keep a sow and all her sisters happy."

Tegus laughed, a startled sound. "That's good news." He agreed.

"Isn't it?" Now her voice was legitimately excited. "We've fifteen gags of wheat flour, twenty bags or barley, forty two barrels of salted mutton…well…" She broke off sheepishly. "You don't want to hear all about our food." She colored a little.

"And why not? What's better than food?"

"Exactly!" She cried, not noticing the teasing in his voice. "But…how are you able to talk to us? Do our guards know that you're here?"

"They're asleep. I shouldn't stay long, but I'll return tomorrow. Is there anything that you need?"

She thought for a moment. 'What does Lady Saren need?' "Something from outside, perhaps? A flower would be lovely to see." She said softly.

"A flower?" He was taken aback. "I thought you might want something more than that."

"We have plenty of food and blankets. We're fine."

"I'm relieved." She could hear the soft smile in his voice. "Farewell until tomorrow, my lady."

"Farewell." 'Don't say 'my lord.' He's **her** lord! Ancestors, forgive me, Dashti, a mucker, for lying in words and deeds.'

"Cut. Perfect you two." She smiled at the two actors who seemed to return to the room. For the next half hour or so, Maya had the actors read certain scenes in pairs, though there were not many instances where the other characters interacted since it was told from Dashti's point of view. When they were finished, she asked them all to come back the next day at 8 A.M. for filming. This fit with everyone schedules, and they all stood and wandered off.

Kyoko checked her watch. It was 2 in the afternoon, and she was starving. "Hey." She turned and found herself face to face with Zach.

"Hello." Rosa answered, polite smile in place as he came to walk beside her.

"So…where are you from?" He asked in a conversational tone.

She sighed internally, sick of answering this question but not wanting to appear rude. She brightened her smile. "I'm from Japan."

"Cool." He smiled. "I'm from here." She wondered if he was making a joke, but decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. "How long have you been acting?"

"About a year." She said with a professional smile. She saw Director Song walk by and toss her a smile before leaving. They were the only ones left.

"Wow." His eyes were wide. "But you are so…good! That was amazing! And you were just voice acting." His smile was so genuine that she couldn't help but return the smile.

"Thank you. You were very good as well." She complimented him and he smiled.

"So…do you want to get something to eat? It's late and I'm starving." She was about to politely refuse when her stomach growled loudly. Internally, she cursed her noisy stomach while Zach laughed. She turned a bright red and looked away, and he was captivated.

'She's so cute!' "Please join me for lunch?" He asked with a smile, and she sighed.

"Of course. Thank you."

* * *

><p>Ren woke at 7. 'This is an improvement over 5 A.M.' He thought with a tired smile. He did some quick mental calculations, and vowed to make a time chart. 'It's 2:00 in California…Kyoko should be done with her first meeting for 'A Thousand Days.' I hope it went well. I'll wait a bit to call her.' He stood and stretched, yawning loudly. 'Wow I got in late last night.' Standing, he forced himself into the bathroom and then into the shower. Turning the water as hot as it would go, he smiled as it pounded onto his back and he took a deep breath of steam. He checked his clock on the bathroom wall as he stepped out. '2:07…probably shouldn't call her yet.'<p>

He wrapped himself in a towel and fixed his hair. Leaving the bathroom, he started his coffee maker and threw two frozen waffles in the toaster, knowing that Kyoko would ask if he had eaten. '2:15…not yet…I should wait until 2:30.' He drank a cup of coffee then poured another, eating the food quickly and going into the bathroom to brush his teeth. He dressed quickly. '2:21…ugh close enough.'

* * *

><p>Kyoko followed Zach down the hallway and out of the building, taking a deep breath of the warm air as they stepped onto the sidewalk. "There's a really nice café right around the corner. Do you have anywhere else to be?"<p>

"I have a class at four." She said softly.

"Really? What kind of class?"

"Um…singing. It's a voice class." She mumbled, blushing.

"Really!" He smiled. "Do you like to sing?"

"I haven't really don't it before, but I thought it might help me broaden my acting experience."

"Yes. There are a lot of roles that require singing." He smiled. "Including this one."

Kyoko nodded. 'That's right." 'Dashti knows 'healing songs' that she sings to her mistress and others throughout the movie.' "But Dashti doesn't need to be able to sing well." She said softly.

"Hmm, you're right. But I guess it all depends on what Director Song wants. Here we are." He stopped in front of a small building with a few tables outside. "Do you want to eat inside or outside?" He asked, leading her into the café.

"Um…whichever you like." She said with a smile.

"Okay. Outside." Kyoko looked around the dark, cool café at the young men and women in suits and dresses sip coffee and eat salads as they stepped inside. Standing at the counter, they waited as the people in front of them ordered. When they were finished, Zach stepped up. "Hey. Can I get a latte and…a turkey club?" Kyoko watched as he ordered and looked up at the menu posted about the counter in black script, reading carefully. Looking back at Zach and the woman behind the counter, she realized that they were waiting for her.

"Oh. Um…can I have the…iced chai and…the salad with the half turkey sandwich?" The woman nodded and Zach pulled out a handful of bills.

"That will be $10.58." Kyoko's eyes widened.

"Oh. Let me pay for mine!" She insisted, reaching into her wallet, but Zach was already getting his change.

"Hehe. Don't worry about it." He took the number they handed him and took it out to a table outside.

"Um…thank you." She said softly, embarrassed that she had allowed him to buy her lunch. "I should pay you back." She pulled out a five-dollar bill.

"No." He said simply, nodding to the waitress who handed them their drinks. "So, Rosa, what brings you to America?" He asked after taking a sip. She smiled at the taste of the ice chai tea as she sat her own drink down on the table.

"My family lives here." She decided to keep it simple.

"Really? So what were you doing in Japan? Did your family come here then send for you?"

"Um…actually it's complicated." She smiled apologetically, but her voice was firm.

"Oh. Okay. So how long are you staying?"

"Probably until the end of the year."

"Do you like it?"

"I do…I miss home thought."

"So…where in Japan are you from?"

"Tokyo."

"Oh." He nodded like she knew what she was talking about, but she had a feeling that he wasn't sure where it was. She decided to let him go on with the act and didn't ask about it. "So how is Japan different?" He asked after the waitress sat down their food.

She laughed a little and began to tell him about Tokyo, eating and chatting until her phone vibrated. She looked at the screen and Zach saw the longing and excitement light up her eyes. "Go ahead." He told her with an easy smile, and she returned the smile, opening the device and answering.

"Hello!" She answered with a sweet smile, reminding herself to speak in English.

"Good afternoon." She giggled a little at his sleepy voice.

"Good morning Ren."

He chucked. "I don't care for this time difference." She laughed with him. "So how was it?"

"How was what?" She asked, forcing herself to sound innocent and confused.

"The meeting! You know what I mean." She could hear the happiness peeking through the scolding.

"It was great! The director said I did really well. I mean…I'm not saying that I'm any good but…" She broke off. 'No…' She peeked up at Zach who was looking at her in surprise. 'I forgot to act…I can't believe it. I broke character completely!'

"Kyoko?" Ren's voice was full of concern. "Are you okay? Did something happen?"

"I'm sorry Ren. I'm actually having lunch with someone right now." Immediately he understood. "But the meeting went really well. Thank you for asking."

"Ahh. Of course. Well, I'm really glad it went well. Are you busy later?"

"I have my first class at four. It's a voice class."

"Hmm. Well, if you have time after your lunch, call me back and **we** can talk." She heard the understanding in his voice and smiled softly.

"Okay. I'll talk to you later. Goodbye."

"Bye Rosa." She ignored the smirk in his voice and turned her attention back to Zach.

* * *

><p>Twenty minutes later, Ren was getting ready to leave when his phone rang. 'Hmmm….I have time.' "Hello?"<p>

"I'm so sorr…"

"Don't apologize!" He interrupted her with a smile. "I understand. So tell me about your lunch date." His voice was teasing, but Kyoko could tell that he was partially serious.

"I went to lunch with another one of the actors from the meeting. He just left."

"He?" His smile disappeared.

"Yes. He. His name is Zach." Her voice was light.

"You went out to lunch with a man?"

"Is that a problem?" Her voice turned challenging, bordering on angry, and he realized that he'd better back off.

'She's not my girlfriend. Even if she becomes my girlfriend, I can't be so jealous…it will drive her away.' "No. It's not." He sighed. "I'm sorry. I just miss you."

"I miss you too." Her voice softened. "But maybe I'll see you soon." Her voice was falsely cheerful, and he knew that she was trying to cheer him up.

"So what's this about a voice class?"

"Um…I'm actually really nervous. I've never sung in front of anyone before." She admitted quietly.

"Why are you taking a voice class? Are you wanting to go into singing?" He asked curiously.

"No…I don't think so. I just wanted to expand on my skills. I have two dance classes and an acting class as well. Did you ever take classes?"

"Yes…I took an acting class at LME and…" He sighed. "A ballet class." He stopped when she laughed quietly. "It's not funny!" He cried.

"No. It's not." He could tell she was trying not to laugh and sighed. "Did you like it?" She tried to keep her voice even and failed miserably.

"It was okay…but I'm never doing it again. Especially not if it's going to make my…" He froze. "Not if it's going to make you laugh at me."

If she noticed his slip up, she didn't mention it. Instead, she talked about the meeting for a little while until Ren caught sight of a clock. "Crap." He interrupted her. "I'm sorry Kyoko. I've got to go or I'm going to be late."

"Oh! Okay. I'll talk to you later."

"Alright. Bye."

"Bye."

* * *

><p>At 6 o'clock, Kyoko stood outside of the training school, waiting for Jack. She and Kuu had reached an agreement. Any time she was out after 5, she would call Jack. She had reluctantly agreed, but only because she knew that Kuu was worried about her. Just as Jack was pulling in, her phone vibrated. She slipped into the passenger's seat and answered.<p>

"Moko-san!" She cried happily after greeting Jack with a smile.

"Hey Kyoko. Were you going to call me and tell me about your meeting?" Kanae wondered dryly.

"I'm so sorry Moko-san! I was going to tell you but…I didn't know what time you were going to work, so I didn't want to bother you." She told Kanae all about the meeting as they drove back to the Hizuri's home.

In Japan, Kanae paced in her room. She didn't have work until 1, so she had only gotten up to wait for Kyoko's call. 'Should I tell her? I want to talk to someone about it…and she's my best friend.'

"…? Moko-san?"

"Huh? Sorry."

"Moko-san…what's wrong?

"I need to ask you about something."

"Um…okay."

"Are you and Ren together?"

"Why do you ask that Moko-san?" Kyoko asked a bit nervously.

"Just…just answer me."

"No. We aren't. We're not going to decide anything until I go back to Japan." She said softly, and Kanae winced at the sadness in her friend's voice.

"I'm…I'm dating Yukihito." She blurted softly, and Kyoko gasped.

"Moko-san!" She squealed. "You! And Yashiro-san! Oh my…."

"Don't!" Kanae screamed at her friend, her face glowing red. "Don't tell anyone! You have to swear Kyoko!"

"Okay…but when did this happen?"

"A few days ago…he showed up at my apartment and asked me on a date." Her friend's giggle made her groan. "I never thought I'd agree to this… but he's so… nice."

"I understand." Kyoko said simply, the amusement gone from her voice. "I can see the two of you getting together."

"Mo." Kanae groaned again. "I still can't believe it."

There was shuffling and the slamming of a door. "So how many times have you… gone out with him?"

"Two…and a half."

"A half?"

"We met once for lunch."

"Oh! That time I was on the phone with you and…"

"No…" Kanae blushed. "Today.

"Oh." Kanae wanted to scream at the suggestiveness in her friend's tone.

"Do you think it's a bad idea?" She cried.

"Of course not! You like him, right?"

There was another door slamming and Kanae waited as she heard shuffling. "Yes…I think I really do." She said softly.

"Then it's a good idea. I'm happy for you."

Kanae smiled, closing her eyes, not trying to figure out why Kyoko's opinion meant so much to her. "Thanks Kyoko."

* * *

><p>Saena sat in her living room, twirling a glass of wine around her cup, and stared out the window. Her phone rang, but she ignored it. She took a sip of the wine and eyed the bottle, tempted to just drown herself in it. 'Surely it's not going to end this way? It was all going so well… my plan was fool proof, until she got away. But… what do I do now? There's no way I can convince anyone that I should have custody now. Hiyashi-san is getting impatient, and I know he has someone else in mind for this deal.' She sighed, downing the remainder of the glass and pouring another. 'I don't want to deal with this right now.'<p>

**A/N: I'm so tired...and sorry that I didn't catch all the errors...let me know what you think. I can't write any more until I finish my final project :)**


	24. Filming

**A/N: Finished my final project! :D yay for me. I hope I caught most of the typos. I do not own Skip Beat or Book of A Thousand Days. Those are the property of Nakamura-sensei and Shannon Hale respectively. **

Chapter 24: Filming

8 A.M. Tuesday morning found Kyoko entering the set. Director Song looked up as the girl arrived and offered a smile from across the room. The green eyed girl smiled back and approached her. "Good morning Director Song." She smiled and tilted her head, one hand in her pocket, and an easygoing expression on her face.

'She stands like a model...' "Good morning Rosa. How are you?" The crew member that she had been speaking to left them alone to prepare.

Kyoko looked around at the set. "I'm well. Thank you." She said in her soft voice. "You?"

"Good. Are you ready?"

"Yes." There was no trace of nervousness in her voice or posture.

"Awesome. I'll just get you into make up and wardrobe…" She looked around and motioned for a woman who came forward immediately. "Here's Jen. She'll get you ready." Kyoko smiled at the woman and followed her down the hall and into a dressing room.

Sitting in the makeup chair, she leaned her head back and closed her eyes, allowing the woman to get to work. After about twenty minutes of being made up, she was allowed to look at herself in the mirror. There was a red splotch on the side of her face, but other than that she didn't look much different. A long black wig was attached to her hair and styled into a long, loose braid. Next, she was given a long brown dress that had a collar high on her neck and fell beneath her knees. The sleeves were long and embroidered with silky flowers, reaching the base of her thumbs and cuffed.

When she came out, she found that everyone else was ready and Maya was talking to Halee about something using grand hand gestures. There were a few extras standing around in costume, and a set had been built of the room in the tower. It was a two story set, with a ladder to the room that would belong to Lady Saren. Halee's hair was also covered by a black wig, done in an elaborate style, and she was dressed in a silk high collared dress. Both girls wore slippers with toes that pointed up. "Okay!" Maya walked onto the set and addressed the group. "First scene, first day in the tower. Rosa, your book is on the table. Lady Saren's father is going to be bricking up the tower, so Halee, you need to be screaming, beating on the wall, you understand? We'll record the narration for the scene later. Follow the script. Ready on set!" Kyoko climbed onto the set, frowning at the way she had to walk in the stiff dress. Halee climbed up as well. Kyoko walked over to the bed that belonged to Dashti on the floor and opened her book.

"Quiet on set! Action!"

Dashti sat on her bed, writing in her book. Occassionally she glanced up at Lady Saren, who sat as if in at stupor. She was kneeling on the floor, just staring at the wall where the bricks were going up. Dashti looked up at the tiny hole in the wall where the light was still shining and gave a calm smile. Suddenly, Lady Saren jumped up and leaped at the door, clawing at the bricks and screamed. Closing her eyes, tears slipped out and down her face as horrible, painful screams tore from her throat. "Stay in!" A loud voice boomed. Her father moved toward the opening and the camera switched to him. "Stay until your heart softens like long-boiled potatoes. And if you try to break your way out, I've told the guards to kill you on sight." His voice was vicious and cruel, but his eyes were sad. "You have seven years to think about disobedience. Until you are meek with regret, your face turns my stomach."

Dashti hurried over to her mistress, mumbling. "Such words will bring you bad luck and canker your heart." She grabbed her mistress's hands and pulled her away. "This isn't exactly a happy celebration morning, but I don't see what good it does to thrash about." She mumbled to herself, then pulled her lady close as the girl squirmed. "Easy my lady." She said softly. Then she sang in a whisper. "Oh, moth on a wind, oh leaf on a stream." And Lady Saren's eyes closed as she slumped against Dashti, who managed to half carry her to the bed. Sitting with the lady's head on her lap, Dashti began writing again in her book as the men bricked them in and the girl sobbed in her sleep. Eventually, her own eyes began to close as the last of the light from the outside disappeared.

"Cut! Perfect!" Halee sat up and pulled herself off of Rosa.

"Good job." She smiled at the girl and helped her up as well.

"Thanks. You too." Kyoko sat the book down and followed her to the edge of the set. One of the extras who had bricked them in offered Halee a hand and Lady Saren's father offered one to Rosa. Both girls smiled gratefully at the men as they gently helped them down. "Okay, get ready for the next scene! It looks like that one was perfect." Maya called from in front of the screen where she was watching the playback. Kyoko stilled as a woman came over and fixed her make up.

"Please don't actually hit us." Kyoko looked over at Halee who was speaking playfully to the man playing Lady Saren's father. He laughed a little.

"Of course not. We'll just be acting." He smiled at both Rosa and Halee. "They taught me how to just pretend. Actually, we just went over it this morning."

Before Halee could say anything else, Maya called for everyone to their places. This time they were acting on a different set which was a replica of a large mansion with beautiful furniture and about twenty extras running around.

"Action!"

Dashti looked around at the people running around her, and she stood for a few minutes on the side. Finally she began walking, looking around at the people who either wept or sulked. Finally she caught an errand boy by the sleeve. "Can you tell my where Lady Saren's chamber is?" He gave her directions quickly and ran off, obviously in a hurry. She followed the directions and entered the woman's chamber, surprised to find a young girl with unruly hair with bare feet in a long white dress. Dashti stood still and stared at the floor waiting to be addressed.

Finally the girl looked up. "Who are you?" She asked in a small voice.

"My lady, I'm Dashti. I'm your new maid." The girl told the floor in a reverent voice.

"You can't be, they're all hiding from me because they don't want…" She broke off and stared at the girl. "What is your name?" She demanded suddenly.

"Dashti, my lady."

Lady Saren leapt from the bed and grabbed Dashti's wrist tightly. Surprise and pain flitted across Dashti's face. "Swear you'll serve me Dashti!" She yanked on the girl's eyes, staring into her eyes with desperation. "Swear you won't abandon me! Swear it!"

"Of course, my lady, I swear." She said in a soft confused voice.

"All right…All right then." She released Dashti and walked around the room aimlessly. Finally, Dashti took the girl's hand and sat her on the bed while she braided her hair and washed her face. She also grabbed a dress out of the girl's wardrobe and helped her into it. "Thank you Dashti." She said quietly.

The door slammed open and Lady Saren's father entered and the girl began to whimper and shake. "Still bleating about it, are you?" He snarled. "Titor and his dogs, girl…it's your mess. Crying about it is like rolling around in your own filth." For a moment, sympathy shined through his eyes, then he raised his hand and smacked her in the face. The girl yelped a little and pulled away. "What's this thing here?" He asked coldly, turning to Dashti. "Why is one of your maids dressed as a mucker? Are you a mucker? Answer me girl!

"Yes my lord. I was born on the steppes, and when I came to my lord's city last year I…"

"That's enough. I don't want the whole story. You're nothing to look at, are you? I remember now. What a hell you walked into, though it can't be worse than your own home." Suddenly he struck his daughter again, and she cried sharply. "There she goes again!" He boomed. "She'd gone quiet and I've accustomed to her crying. Bawl all you want wench! No one will hear you alone in the tower."

Lady Saren looked up at him fiercely as she stopped crying. "I won't be alone. My new maid is going with me."

He snorted. "Is that what you think? You don't deserve a maid and I won't force one to attend you. So let me hear the maid say she's willing to go."

Dashti looked around. "Go where?"

He laughed, a loud booming sound that filled the room. "I her honored father, have arranced a match with Lord Khasar. And does my daughter thank me and appreciate her responsibility? NO! She declares she's promised herself to Khan Tegus. How's that for gratitude? I'm sending her to a watchtower shut up as a prison and we'll see if seven years beneath bricks won't kill her rebellion. So say it, mucker girl. Will you lock yourself up with this disobedient child?"

Saren squeezed her arm and Dashti looked at her with soft eyes. Suddenly her eyes brightened with determination. "Yes. I'll stay with my Lady." The man's eyes opened in surprise, then he reached back and smacked the girl hard on her mouth. Kyoko flinched when his hand made contact with her mouth, but forced herself to stay into character. The other actors' eyes widened in surprise but she only smirked a little at the floor.

"Cut! Are you okay?" Director Song jumped up and hurried on set. The actor put his hand under Kyoko's chin and tried to look at her mouth, but the girl pulled away.

"I am so sorry!" He cried.

"I'm fine." She insisted with a small smile at how quickly he had changed from Lady Saren's cruel father to this man. She turned to the Director who had paused at the edge of the stage. "I'm fine." She told her. "It hardly hurt." She lied.

"Okay." She said hesitantly. "Good. Let's take a break. Rosa, your lip is bleeding." She called and Kyoko nodded, stepping down from the stage to get a tissue and ice for her lip.

Kyoko checked the clock. '10…we've been filming for an hour and a half…I wonder what time we will be done today."

After seeing to her lip and a few quick breaks throughout the day, they finished after filming a few more scenes. At 2, they wrapped up. "Good job everyone. I'll see some of you tomorrow." Maya waved and hurried off.

* * *

><p>Kyoko stood in the airport, hands clasped. She took a few deep breaths, trying to hide her excitement. No one seemed to notice her as they hurried around the airport. Finally, she spotted blonde hair across the airport and ran into the woman's arms. "Kyoko!" Julie squeezed her daughter after dropping her luggage.<p>

"Mother! Did you have a good trip?"

"Of course. But I'm so glad to see you!"

"I'm glad to see you too!"

"How was filming?" She held the girl at arm's length.

"It was great! We got a lot done and we had almost no NG's!"

"That's great sweetie. Now. I have a surprise for you." She smiled brightly and Kyoko cocked her head.

"What do you…"

"Onee-san!"

Kyoko's eyes widened in shock at the familiar voice. She peered around her mother and was slammed into by a small crying torpedo. She winced as she hit the floor, but wrapped her arms around the sobbing girl. "I missed you!" The little girl cried into her shoulder and Kyoko kissed the girl's hair, holding her close. "I thought you didn't love me anymore!"

"Oh Maria." Kyoko whispered, sitting herself upright and rocking the little girl, ignoring the stares that they were receiving. "I'm so sorry. Of course I love you sweetie. You're my little sister."

"No I'm not." Maria whimpered. "Grandfather said you have a real little sister and…"

"Maria." Kyoko's stern voice made Maria look up at her. "You are always my little sister. That can't change. Okay?" The little girl nodded and Kyoko suddenly saw a shadow looming over her. Looking up, she found herself in shock once again.

"Hello Kyoko." The President's booming voice combined with his Native American outfit, complete with a feather in his ponytail, brought tears of nostalgia to Kyoko's eyes. He crouched down and put a hand on her back. "Are you okay?" He asked, brows furrowed in concern. The girl nodded. "I'm so sorry." He said quietly. "I shouldn't have tried to hide so much from you." Kyoko nodded, a tear slipping from her eye, and Lory pulled both girls into his arms on the airport floor. "Come on." He said gently. "We can all have a good cry together at your place. We're making a scene." Kyoko giggled a little as Lory picked up his granddaughter. Julie leaned over and helped Kyoko up, then they all piled into the car.

There was no more crying, thought Kyoko was tempted a few times. She hadn't realized how much she had missed the eccentric man who had given her so much until she had seen him again. She began to make the four of them a late lunch with plenty of leftovers for Kuu whenever he arrived. As she cooked, Julie put her things away and Maria stuck by Kyoko's side. Lory sat on one of the barstools, watching her. "Are you happy here?" He asked softly.

Kyoko paused in her cooking, staring into the pot and thinking of all the things that made up her life here. "I am so happy with Mother and Father. I've never had a family, and I love it." She started softly. "I am grateful for my job here, and I'm having a lot of fun filming." She frowned. "But I miss Japan so much. I miss working at LME, and seeing Mo…Kanae and…and Ren. I miss them very much." Lory's eyes softened. "I miss Maria." She squeezed the girl's shoulder. "I miss the couple at the restaurant where I work…I miss my language." She wiped a tear away quickly and smiled at the President. "I will be very happy when I can return." She said softly. He nodded.

"So tell me about the Agency where you work."

"It's…boring." He laughed loudly as she went on. "No one ever dresses in ridiculous costumes or puts up impossible decorations. There is no Love Me Department. A lot of the people are rude." She shrugged. "But I'm glad that I get to go to the acting school."

"That is good. And with you debuting in a movie, you will be able to reveal yourself once you are clear to return to Japan. I'm sure you will receive several more offers once you return." This made Kyoko smile.

"Do you think so?" She asked excitedly. He nodded as Julie came down to join them.

"What does he think, sweetie?" She joined Kyoko at the stove but didn't touch anything.

"I'll get more offers in Japan because of 'A Thousand Days."

"Of course."

* * *

><p>Lory smiled at the women as they chatted away after they all ate the food Kyoko cooke . 'I hope Ren's plan works…' He thought, watching Kyoko's face light up at something Julie said.<p>

Kuu arrived home right after lunch to three surprises. After kissing his wife (for quite a while), and then his daughter, and then Maria, he turned to Lory. The three girls headed for the living room while the men talked in the kitchen. "What are you doing here?" Lory laughed.

"Everyone else gets such a nice welcome." He said with a mock pout.

Kuu laughed as well and the two old friends hugged. "It's good to see you. Now what do you want?" Kuu asked teasingly. Lory snorted.

"Maria wanted to see Kyoko and I wanted to as well." He shrugged, motioning to the living room where they could hear the tv switch on. "But I do need to talk to you about something." He glanced at the others.

"We can talk upstairs."

The two men left the women watching a movie and entered the den, shutting the door behind them and sitting on one of the sofas. "So what do you need to talk about?" Kuu wondered.

"Your son."

"I assume he's informed you of his plan as well?" Kuu asked wryly.

"Yes. He's told you?"

"Yes." Kuu nodded. "He called me at work."

"What about Julie?"

"I've talked to her. I think he called her himself while she was away."

"What do you think about it?"

Kuu sighed. "This is his choice. I think it's what he feels he needs to do."

"Do you think he's ready?"

Kuu thought for a moment to the tortured teen that had left him what felt like a lifetime ago and then to the man that had visited a few days ago. "I do." He said softly. "But you know why he's doing this."

"Yes..." Lory said slowly. "He certainly misses you...but..."

"But it's because he loves her." Kuu smiled softly. "We all do." He paused for a moment. "What about her real family?"

"Kyouta gave Saena the papers. It's up to her now."

"What if she says no?"

"Then we protect Kyoko at all costs." Lory grinned. "Of course, that's been the plan all along. As for your son...I think this will be good for both of them."

"Did he tell you when he was going to do it?"

"No...but I don't think he's going to wait much longer."

**A/N: So I hadn't read Book of A Thousand Days for a while, so I now have my copy with me whenever I plan a chapter. Lol. I'm having a lot of fun with that, and it is interesting to turn a book into a movie script. Anyway, I hope you all liked this chapter. I'm sorry if this seemed fillerish or broing….I won't do as much with the filming anymore (unless you really want it…) and will focus more on the main plot of the story (whatever that may be...) Let me know what you think. I looked it over, but there are probably some errors. Please feel free to point these out to me. :)**


	25. Visitors

**A/N: Once again, I do not own Skip Beat or Shannon Hale's "Book of A Thousand Days." I am using it for a fanfiction that I made up, but I don't own it. :D Please don't sue me. **

** Anyway, here's Chapter 25! Let me know what you think! Reviews are wonderful.**

Chapter 25: Visitors

That night, Maria, Kyoko, Julie, Kuu, and Lory went out to dinner, despite Kyoko's protests. Although she had wanted to cook for everyone, Lory mentioned that he wanted to try a particular restaurant and she eventually gave in. Jack drove them in a limo, with Maria and Kyoko sitting together across from the adults. "What time are you working tomorrow Onee-san?" Maria asked during a lull in conversation.

"Um….around 10 I think." Kyoko answered, trying to remember the schedule that Director Song had given her.

"Wow." Maria said in a pointed voice. Kuu smiled sideways at his wife and Lory looked over at her. "That's really early." Kyoko gave her a confused smile, but found that the little girl was looking at her grandfather.

"Maria." Lory sighed. "We aren't going to her filming. We're going back home tomorrow afternoon." Kyoko looked up sadly and Lory found himself staring into two pairs of large, tear filled eyes.

"Oh." Kyoko said dejectedly, deciding to give Maria a hand. "I thought you were staying a little longer." She said softly, letting her shoulders slump and more tears fill her eyes. Kuu hid a smirk.

'This girl is good. She is certainly a great actress.'

"Well…Kyoko I have a meeting and…" The actress sniffed and Maria let a tear fall. "…and I need to go to…" Now a sad tear fell from Kyoko's eye as well. Lory looked back and forth desperately. "the uh…" He sighed, giving up. "But I suppose everything can be rescheduled." He said with a shrug. The tears dried instantly and Maria jumped into her grandfather's lap.

"Thank you grandfather!" She cried and Kyoko gave a sweets smile.

Kuu and Julie laughed. "Oh you know that you were going to stay as soon as Maria asked." She told her friend and he smiled a little. Kuu smiled fondly at his wife and Kyoko felt a pang in her heart.

'Ren.' The thought was involuntary. 'He looked at me like that…' She sighed. 'It hasn't been a long time since I've seen him but…now that I know how he feels about me and how I feel about him…it's getting harder.' She sighed quietly, not wanting her family to know how much she missed him. 'I miss him so much.' She looked over at her father again. "I wonder if…wait!" Her thoughts halted in their tracks. "they…Father and Ren…do they…"

"We're here." She let the thought fly away as Kuu jumped out and helped Julie. Lory did the same for Maria and Kyoko. The group made their way to the front of the restaurant and to the woman behind the counter. She smiled at them and summoned a waiter to lead them to a table.

It was the largest restaurant Kyoko had ever been in, and she looked around, trying to take everything in, as they walked up the stairs to the fourth floor. The waiter talked quietly to Kuu, who was at the head of the party, but Kyoko couldn't hear anything they were saying. She was staring at a giant chandelier when she felt a nudge from behind. Turning, she found herself looking into Lory's amused eyes. She realized that she had been standing still and the others were already at the table, staring at her with various degrees of amusement. Blushing brightly, she hurried over to the table.

Maria and Kyoko sat together on one side of the large table and the adults sat across from them. The waiter took their drink orders and Kuu began asking about Julie's trip. Kyoko glanced at her father and the half thought returned. 'Ren and Father…they look…similar? No. That's silly. Father's son is Corn, so they probably look similar, but I don't know who Ren's parents are. He's going to tell me his name…eventually. Maybe then I'll get to meet his parents…I wonder what they are like. I already have two sets of parents…well two sets of fathers. I wonder what Ren's parents are like. What if they don't like me! Will he stop liking me if…' "…ko? Kyoko?" The girl jumped and found everyone staring at her once again.

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"It's fine." Lory smiled at her gently. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." She smiled brightly. "Just lost in thought. What were you saying?"

"I was wondering what your project was about."

"Oh. It's based on a book called 'A Book of A Thousand Days'. I'm playing a maid, Dashti, who swears to serve a girl only to find that the girl is being locked in a tower by her father who wants her to marry the Lord of another land, because the girl promised to marry another man."

"Ahh. So why doesn't her mistress…"

"Lady Saren."

"Thank you. Why doesn't Lady Saren want to marry this lord?"

"Because he's a monster. Literally. He sold his soul to desert shamans and was given the power to turn into a wolf so that he could conquer everyone in battle. Lady Saren pledged herself to Khan Tegus but she doesn't really love him. When he comes to visit them in the tower, Lady Saren orders Dashti to talk to him. So as Dashti talks to Khan Tegus as 'Lady Saren', she starts to fall in love with him. But he's gentry so she never admits it because he's so far above her." She paused when Lory smiled at her pointedly. "What?" He shook his head, so she went on. "Well, they break out of the tower when the food runs out because of rats and find the guards dead. They find their way to Khan Tegus' land and they begin working for him without telling him who they are. Then Khan Tegus needs Dashti's healing songs to help a friend and…well they fall in love, but she tells him that she is Lady Saren. She can't tell him the truth because if he finds out that she impersonated gentry, she could be hanged." Kyoko too a breath and Lory laughed at her excited smile.

"Okay, I understand." He smiled. "I'll watch the movie when it comes out. Don't ruin it."

"Hehe. Okay." She smiled.

Kyoko was in the middle of taking a bite when her phone vibrated. She sat the fork down and checked her phone. Everyone caught the longing in her eyes and then the way she bit her lip and pocketed her phone. "Who is it?" Kuu asked with a little smile.

"Um…it's nothing. It can wait." Kyoko smiled back.

"Onee-san, why don't you want to talk to Ren-sama?" Kyoko turned bright red and everyone laughed.

"Um…it's not that…um…"

"Go ahead and call him back, Kyoko." Kuu told her and then took a bite of food.

"He's right sweetie. He's probably dying to know how the filming went." Julie grinned at her. "We can wait."

Kyoko excused herself with a soft apology and hurried off to the bathroom. "She loves him." Lory said with a soft smile. "She can't fool me."

"She's a great actress." Kuu said with a nod. "But she can't hide the fact that she's in love."

* * *

><p>Ren sighed as he pocketed his phone. 'She's busy.' He scolded himself. 'She's not obligated to answer all my calls. I wonder if she's out with that guy again.' He frowned. "That is none of my business." He announced to the empty room, then jumped as his phone rang. "Hello!" He answered the phone without looking, a giant smile on his face.<p>

"Hey Ren. Sorry. I'm out with Mother and Father. Did you know that President Lory and Maria came over! It's so good to see Maria. Oh…have you eaten?" Ren chucked.

"Don't worry about it." He said gently. "No I didn't know they came to visit you. I'm glad your having fun. Yes, I've eaten. I stopped at a sushi store with Yukihito earlier. You can call him if you don't believe me."

She laughed a little. "I believe you. Was it good?"

"Eh. Yours is better." She laughed again.

"Thank you."

"I miss you cooking for me." He said sadly.

"I miss cooking for you." She told him. "I wish I could come visit."

"You can't." He told her gently. "You don't want your mother to find you before we can see if your fa…Kyouta can get custody."

"You can call him my father." She nearly whispered. "It's okay."

"So are you getting use to the idea?"

"I guess so." She took a deep breath. "Does…does Kuri hate me?"

"No." He assured her. "She's having trouble with the idea, but she'll be fine. I'm sure she'll love you." When she didn't reply, he realized that she was still having trouble herself. "How was your first day of actual filming?" He tried to change the subject.

"It was great!" She cried. "I had such a good time, and there were almost no NGs. The director was really happy with our acting, and I get to go back tomorrow at 10."

"Hmm. Really. So what are you doing this weekend?" He wondered.

"Um…I have filming on Saturday morning from 8 to 11. I'm free after that. Why?"

"Oh. Um…" He scrambled to write down the times. "I just wanted to see if you wanted to talk on the phone on Saturday."

"Um…okay. I'll finish at 4 in the morning for you…"

He laughed nervously. "Well…I meant later." He answered lamely, hoping she didn't get suspicious.

"Okay." She said slowly with a laugh. "Well anyway, how was your day?"

They continued to talk, but Ren was focused on working out his schedule. "Ren…are you busy?" He jumped at the hurt in her voice.

"Wah…ah….not really."

"Okay." She said softly. "I'll just let you go. I'd better get back."

"I'm sorry." He apologized sadly. "I was trying to do something. That was rude." He sat the paper down and walked over to the living room. For a few moments she talked about her filming and he asked her questions. Finally she told him that she really did have to get back to her food.

"I'll talk to you later." She said cheerfully.

"I love you." He blurted softly and she froze. He closed his eyes and prayed that he hadn't upset her. 'She knows how I feel but…what if she's changed her…"

"I love you too." She said softly. "I love you."

He smiled softly, his heart skipping a beat. "Bye."

"Bye."

* * *

><p>After dinner, Kuu decided to take everyone to the beach. "Can we go at night?" Maria wondered. Kuu smiled.<p>

"Of course. Why not?

* * *

><p>It will be fun." Julie smiled as well.<p>

"We used to do this all the time." She informed them as they climbed out of the limo at the beach. Kuu pulled a picnic out of the back.

"Um…Father…we just ate." Kyoko pointed out as he sat the blanket down and put the basket on top.

"I know." He said with a laugh. "This is dessert." Kyoko sighed and they all sat around in the dark to eat dessert on the beach.

Afterwards, Kyoko and Maria waded out into the water while Lory sat by the water's edge and kept an eye on them. Kuu and Julie stretched out on the blanket snuggled together under the stars. Kyoko looked down at Maria, swimming around her, then at Lory, watching them from the beach, and finally at her Father and Mother, snuggling a little ways away from him. 'I love my family.' She smiled at Maria and lifted the girl up, laughing as the little girl squealed, then dropped her gently into the water.

* * *

><p>Ren sighed and dropped his head in his hands. "No." He said suddenly. "I'm not going to do it." He paced for a minute. "But I want to!" He groaned. "Am I ready to do this? Will she forgive me? Should she? I've been lying to her!"<p>

His phone rang and he picked it up. "Hey Yashiro."

"Hey Ren. I cleared your schedule this weekend. I tried for Monday but that's going to take some more negotiating. Is that okay?"

"I don't know, Yukihito. What if…should I be doing this?"

"What?" Yukihito's voice was stunned.

"Yukihito…what if she hates me? Am I ready to do…"

"For God's sake Ren! What is the matter with you? Will you just make up your mind? You've been planning this for long enough. Just do it. Do you have any idea how long it took me to clear your schedule?"

"Well…uh…"

"Ren! I'm not planning anything else for you this weekend. Either you're telling her or you're sitting at home alone all weekend!" 'Click'

Ren stared at the phone. 'Did he just hang up on me?'

* * *

><p>After his angry call with Ren, Yukihito invited Kanae over to watch a movie. Kanae agreed and changed into a nice top and some new jeans. After pulling her boots on, she hurried over to Yukihito's house. She pulled her jacket around her as she walked, taking the phone out of the pocket whenever it began to ring. "Hello?"<p>

"Hey. Where are you?" Yukihito asked.

"I'm on my way." She told him, looking around before crossing the street. She shivered a little in the cold air.

"Wait…you're in a cab, right?"

"Um no." She said incredulously.

"Kanae! Don't tell me you're walking!"

"I can't afford a cab, Yukihito!" She glared at the phone in irritation, stomping the happiness that he cared about her down until it could no longer be there to confuse her.

"Kanae I would have paid for it!"

"I'm almost to your house. Just give me a minute." He sighed and she shut her phone.

Kanae knocked on Yukhito's door and he opened it immediately. He stepped aside and let her in, looking at her anxiously as she kept her coat wrapped around her. "See. This is why I wanted you to take a cab. You're freezing." He took her hands with his own and Kanae nearly jumped at the electricity that his touch caused. She jerked away, ignoring the surprised hurt look on his face. 'He looks so handsome tonight.' Her eyes slipped over his body, and she had to fight a blush.

"I'm fine. You don't have to worry so much. What are we watching?" She walked around him. 'I really like him…but I can't get too close. I don't want my feelings for him to get any stronger…I'm not ready for that.' Yashiro named a movie and Kanae nodded as she sat on the sofa. After putting it in, Yukhito sat next to her and pulled a blanket around them.

About halfway through the movie, he put his arm around her. She stiffened and stared to pull away, but honestly couldn't help but enjoy the feeling of being close to him. She sighed and let herself rest against his side. 'It's fine. We aren't doing anything.' Kanae blushed as his had slipped to her waist.

"Are you okay?" He looked over at her strangely as she pulled away.

"I'm fine!" She snapped, refusing to look at him. 'What's the matter with me tonight?'

"Hey." He touched her shoulder and she felt the electricity again, flinching and jerking back.

"Just stop it!" She cried, jumping up and storming out of the room. He watched her go in shock.

'What is wrong with everyone today?' He wondered, bewildered.

* * *

><p>Maria insisted on sharing a room with Kyoko, who didn't mind. The two girls took quick showers and Kyoko pulled the covers down once they were in their pajamas. She tucked Maria in and sat on the bed next to her, pulling out her script. Right as she was about done with the first scene, her phone vibrated. She looked at the screen and at Maria's sleeping face. Slipping away, she closed the bathroom door behind her and sat on the counter.<p>

"Hey Moko-san."

"Kyoko! Something's wrong with me!"

"What! What's wrong Moko-san! What happened? Are you okay? Are you hurt!"

"Just shut up and listen!" The girl cried. "I'm over at Yukihito's and…he…I…I don't like it when he touches me." Her voice dropped to a whisper at the end.

"Um…Moko-san…" Kyoko blushed. "What do you mean?"

"He…he just took my hand, and then he put his arm around me and I was leaning on him. I don't like it." She snapped.

"Moko-san…why don't you like it?"

"Kyoko…how do you feel when Ren touches you?"

"Hmm? Um…I like it." She said, obviously embarrassed.

"I mean physically."

"Well…it depends. Sometimes I feel…like I've been shocked. Or like I'm really hot. Sometimes I get a strange feeling in my tummy." She blushed. "That's when hugs me or…" She whispered. "When he kissed me."

"He kissed you!" She cried, and Kyoko blushed brightly.

"Shh! Don't tell anyone! Yes…he did. A few times."

"And you liked it?"

"Yes. But that's because I like him. So how do you feel when Yukihito touches you?"

"Hot. And like something shocked me." Kanae mumbled, obviously irritable.

"Why does that make you angry?"

"Kyoko…I think I really starting to fall in love with him."

"But you knew that you liked him." Kyoko said reasonably.

"Yes, but…every time I see him I feel like I like him more." She mumbled. "And whenever he touches me…I want him to…do it more." She groaned. "Isn't that horrible!"

"I don't actually know… I never thought that we would be having **this** conversation." Kyoko giggled. "But I feel the same way with Ren. I never wanted him to stop kissing me."

"Kyoko…you know what happens when couples keep touching each other and kissing, right?"

Kyoko turned beet red, the images that popped into her mind threatening to make her brain shut down. "Of course!"

"I'm not ready for that…and what if he wants to…"

"I don't think he would try to get you to do anything like that Moko-san. You like him, right? So that means you trust him. If he does something you don't like, tell him."

"I can't believe I'm saying this…but you're right. Thanks." Kyoko heard knocking. "That's him. I'd better go."

"Bye Moko-san."

"Bye Kyoko."

* * *

><p>Kanae unlocked the door and stepped back when he threw it open. "What is the matter with you?" He cried. "What are you so upset about?" He paused in his shouting when he realized that she wasn't moving or yelling back. He took a few steps toward her and put his hand under her chin, tilting it up so that she had to look at him. "Are you okay? Do you want to go home?"<p>

She shook her head, clenching her fists and biting the inside of her lip. 'I will not cry. Loving someone is a stupid thing to cry over.'

"Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you. I just don't know what's wrong with you. Did I do something."

She nodded.

"Okay. What did I do?"

"You asked me out." She whispered, finally letting a tear fall. He frowned in confusion. "No one nice ever asked me out. I didn't want them to!" She cried. "I didn't want to get close to anyone, even Kyoko, because people just get in the way." She lowered her head. "But then you asked me out and didn't let me say no! So I went along with it. But you were so nice and…so sweet. And so wonderful to me when I was so mean. And…you made me start to fall in love with you." She closed her eyes tightly, ignoring the part of her brain that had to comment on the cheesy line. "And I know you don't feel the same and…"

He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her, making her gasp in surprise, but he kept the kiss gentle, brining one hand up to stroke her hair and holding her waist with the other. She relaxed after a minute, letting him guide her, basking in the feeling of being so close to him. He finally pulled away and smiled softly at her. "I love you too." He said softly. "Thought that must have been the most unromantic confession I have ever heard." She couldn't help the small smile that came to her lips, nor the bright blush that colored her cheeks. "Come on, we should probably finish that movie." She laughed this time, nodding and following him into the living room.

This time she didn't hesitate to sit next to him, letting him hold her. 'He won't do anything…I trust him.' "Yukihito?" She whispered.

"Yea?"

"What is this movie about?"

* * *

><p>Kyoko and Maria woke early and got ready quickly. Lory volunteered to drive them to Kyoko's filming, and they arrived on set in time for Kyoko to go through make up and wardrobe. "Onee-san, you look pretty!" Maria said from her grandfather's lap. They were sitting on the sidelines, quietly watching everything around them. Maya had introduced herself and offered them seats, inviting them to stay as long as they liked. Kyoko hurried onto set and listened as Director Song told them which scenes they would be filming. Zach and Halee were on set and Kyoko joined them with a smile.<p>

"Okay. Places!" Lory and Maria smiled, anxious to see her act. The crewmembers got the cameras in place. "Action!"

Khan Tegus walked around the outside of the tower, tapping on the flap on the side. "My lady! My lady!" He whispered shouted.

Dashti looked over at Lady Saren briefly, then went back to her sewing.

"My lady!" Tap. Tap. Tap. "Lady Saren? Are you all right?"

Lady Saren stood stiffly and walked over to Dashti. "Speak to him Dashti."

Dashti looked up with dread. "Please. My lady…"

Lady Saren held her hand out for Dahsti and, with a long sigh, she took it and they switched places. Dashti placed a wooden spoon in the flap and held it open. "I'm here." She said softly.

"I didn't wake you?"

"Oh no! I never sleep…" She paused covering her mouth. 'I never sleep until my lady does.' She thought, pressing her lips together.

"You never sleep?"

"No…yes I do. I just…I mean…"

"That's a shame. I'll say some prayers for you to Goda, goddess of sleep."

She smirked at the teasing in his voice. "And I'll pray for you to Carthen, goddess of strength. Your ankles look to skinny to carry you."

He laughed loudly at the friendly insult. "I'll wager it'd take three of your ankles to make one of mine!"

"Not a chance. I have sturdy ankles, strong as tree trunks."

"Show me then." He taunted her. She laughed a little, then stepped over by the wall, lowering her right leg through the flap. Khan Tegus pressed their ankles together and gave a long 'hmm.' "I hate to contradict my lady, but I think my ankle puts yours to shame."

"Not a chance!" She cried, giggling. "And it's not a fair comparison, as you're wearing boots!" Lifting her leg, she froze when she realized her foot was stuck. He chuckled and helped her pull her foot through.

"Oh! I brought you a gift." He lifted an object up through the flap with both hands, kneeling on the ground. It was a pine bough. Dashti reached down and grasped it. She looked at his hand, and unconsciously she lifted one of her own to touch his, but jerked away. "You asked for a flower. But in autumn, there's little to choose from. Besides, I think pine boughs smell better, don't you?" Tears came to Dashti's eyes as she sniffed it, her face breaking into a nostalgic smile.

"It smells like the winter nap." She said softly. Midwinter every year, my mother would decorate our…home with pine boughs, cracking the needles to get the richest smell. Then we'd curl up in blankets and take our winter nap, five days of no food but milk, sleeping on and off all day and night like burrowing animals."

"That sounds strange and lovely and wearying too. Is a winter nap a common custom where you are from?"

"Common enough." She said softly, and he was silent for a few moments.

"May I say something? Will you be offended?"

"No…"

"Your hand, when you took my pine bough, I saw…your hand is beautiful."

In the tower room, Dashti tucked her hands under her arms and blushed softly. Lady Saren looked at her hands with a frown. "You've gone quiet. I've offended you."

Dashti laughed loudly.

"What's funny?" He asked, a tinge of laugher in his voice.

"My hand…you thought it was beautiful. And then you thought I'd be offended.

"Don't stop laughing." He urged her softly. He began to tell her a story about a horse throwing him into a barrel of water. She held her stomach in laughter, then he began to sing. "This morning I found a piglet, grunting beside my bed. This piglet, she had no body, she was only a head! She rolled about while squealing moving by snout and by jaw, happily snuffling for treats without use of hoof or paw." Lady Saren smiled a little and Dashti's eyes lit up. Finally he had to leave. He passed up a bag of meat. "From an antelope my war chief slew for you. I thought fresh meat might make a pleasant change."

"Oh, Khan Tegus! Oh…my lord. We have salt meat…but fresh…it's a difference isn't it. We have salted everything here…vegetables and meat and cheese…Though I'm not complaining! The food's wonderful, as long as I can keep the rats out."

"There are rats?"

She sighed but went on hesitantly. "We've a plague of rats in the cellar. I'm afraid my…maid won't have enough to eat after a while." She frowned a little.

"Your voice is tilting down my lady. I guess you're frowning. You're worried. I should go now before the guards return but keep the rats out of your hair tonight and I'll return tomorrow."

Dashti smiled softly and went back to her mattress, opening her book and scribbling on the pages.

"Cut! Great job guys!" Maya went back to her playback and Kyoko walked over Lory and Maria.

"That was so good!" Maria cried.

Lory nodded. "That was really impressive, Ky…" He looked around. "Rosa." He said softly.

The next scene started quickly, and Kyoko hurried to the set. "Action!"

Khan Tegus arrived at the tower again. Lady Saren was asleep upstairs, and only Dashti was in the room. As soon as she heard him call, she stood and hurried over to the flap. She opened it and listened.

"Did you sleep well last night? I might take offense if you went ahead and slept with rats in your hair, after I specifically warned you against it." She laughed.

"I slept well. Sleep is always sweet."

"Not all would say that." He said softly. "You're an antelope who bounds through life I think. Here you are, locked in a tower and laughing still."

"You make me laugh." She admitted softly.

"I think I'd like to make you laugh all day long. If I could take you out of here, I'd hold a feast and dance and see you bedecked in a silver gown, laughing and bounding about."

"Why silver?" She wondered.

"Because in the dark, your voice sounds silver." She blushed brightly.

"That's a pretty thing to say." She said in a forced light tone. I wish I could think of pretty things to say too, besides that your ankles are skinnier than a jackrabbits ribs."

He cleared his throat. "It's just the cut of these boots, I assure you. Besides my lady, you had a flowery tongue in your time. Before coming here, I looked over al our letters, and the early ones, when you were thirteen and I fifteen…you weren't so bad…but I founds some drafts of letters I wrote you. In one, I wrote something akin to 'When I think of you, my heart melts like butter over the bread of my stomach.' In another, I wrote, 'You are like a shiny red apple with no worms."

Dashti held a hand over her mouth but ended up snorting loudly. Tegus snorted as well, and the two laughed loudly. "Your laugh…sounds like a yak's grunt" She informed him between giggles and this made him laugh harder.

Finally Dashti wiped her tears and Tegus sighed. "My warriors are watching for the guards a few paces off, and they're sure to think I've gone crazy."

"Maybe you have, did you think of that? You certainly sound crazy, laughing like a wild dog."

"Careful with the accusations of insanity, oh my lady whose home is a tower with windows of brick, all for the sake of some skinny-ankled, laugh prone boy of a Khan."

"If a lady is crazy to be bricked up in a tower, then what is a khan who sits outside to laugh with her?"

He saighed. "I'm sorry I can't break you out." He leaned his head against the tower. "I can't believe you don't despise me for it." They sat quietly for a few moments, then they heard a dog growl. "That's a guard dog." He said angrily.

"What does the sky look like tonight?" She asked softly. He sighed, then stared at the sky for a while.

"The air is so clear, it shivers. All of the stars are out, every one, even the babies." A tear fell down Dashti's cheek. "It's so bright with stars the blacks of the sky look a dark, dark blue." There was a long silence as she closed her eyes, imagining it. "I have a farewell gift." He said suddenly, more brightness in his voice. "I thought of it when you mentioned your troubles with rats." Dashti looked at the Khan's bare hand as it came up through the flap. A furry, meowing bundle was in it, and Dashti took it in delight. She placed her nose it it's fur, and the cat purred. She smiled softly, a soft smile on her lips.

Setting the cat down, Dashti looked around for a gift for him. Finding nothing, she unhooked her undershirt. "The thing worn closet to the skin, to the heart, carry the scent of a person, and scent is the breath of the soul." She whispered. She leaned down and handed him the shirt. He took it and her hand, holding on for a minute, and she smiled softly.

"Cut!"

**A/N: So this chapter was going to be REALLY short...but it ended up being really long...lol. Let me know what you think. :)**


	26. A Reunion

**A/N: So I really wanted to get this chapter done! So...pleasepleaseplease excuse the errors (but please do point them out to me and I will do my best to fix them.) Thank you so much for reading!**

Chapter 26: A Reunion

"Dear Kyoko,

I just wanted to tell you that I'm coming to visit you. Soon. I can't wait to finally meet you.

Sincerely,

Corn"

Kyoko frowned at the shortness of the email, but her heart was pounding with excitement. "I finally get to meet him." She said softly. "But...it's strange that he only wrote a couple of lines."

* * *

><p>Saena sat in the office chair on the other side of the large mahogany desk. Hiyashi-san was regarding her coolly, and she returned the stare. "We think we have an idea of where she is." He told her. She only stared at him in silence. "Do you know of Hizuri Kuu?"<p>

"The actor?" She lifted a delicate eyebrow. "Of course."

"He lives in California with his wife, Julie." He informed her.

"How do you know this? And what does it have to do with Kyoko?"

"I asked around. It seems that he took an interest in her. If you can get to California and…"

"Her father wants custody." She informed him snappily.

"What? What father! You said that she didn't know her father."

"Someone found him and told him about her. Probably that crazy boss of hers." She mumbled at the end.

"He never had anything to do with her." He said simply.

"He didn't know about her! I never even told him." She snapped, and then dropped her head in her hands.

"Look Saena, my son likes your daughter, and I want to do business with you."

"You don't understand." She said softly, lifting her head and giving him a cold look. "Takarada Lory is a total nut. But he is also a very powerful man. He won't let me near the girl, and I'm sure that it was him who found her father. Kyouta, her father, wants his daughter. The courts will give him custody and ruin me if I fight him. Then, there's Tsuruga Ren." She sighed when his eyes widened. "He's the number one actor in Japan, and there are rumors that they are very close. It's over. There are to many powerful people protecting her. We can't get her back."

"Saena, I think you should go to America." He said quietly, reasonably. "Try and find her. Then you can…"

"Saena stood abruptly. "It's too late." She turned and he watched her walk out of his office. "I already signed the papers."

* * *

><p>On Thursday morning, Lory and Ren sat in the middle of a large garden, complete with a Koi pond. Ren sighed as he took a sip of tea and leaned against the rock formation. Lory was wearing a kimono but had permitted Ren to remain in his suit. "President…"<p>

"Yes?"

"What am I doing here?"

"I need to talk to you."

"May I ask about what?" He asked dryly.

Lory passed a picture over the desk and Ren took a look. His jaw dropped. "Yashiro! Is he…kissing Kotonami-san!"

"Apparently they are dating now." Lory said simply, shrugging.

"What?" He sighed, shaking his head. "Okay, I don't want to know how you know this. Yukihito is my manager. His personal life, as interesting at this is, had nothing to do with me."

"Oh. That wasn't why I wanted to see you. I just though you would be interested." He grabbed a cigar and suddenly the beautiful garden disappeared in a fog. Ren coughed and turned away. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about your plan."

"Ah. Alright. Are you going to try and talk me out of it?"

"No. Not at all. I think it's a great idea. I just wanted to know if you were sure about this."

"I am sure about it." He said firmly.

"Well then, I guess…"

The door was thrown open and both men jumped. "She signed the papers!" Kyouta ran into the room and shoved a folder into Lory's hands. His face was glowing and his eyes were filling. "I got my daughter. I have custody."

Lory smiled, taking a shaking breath in relief. "Well then, I guess we have a phone call to make."

* * *

><p>Dashti and Saren sat together in the tower, Dashti sewing as always and Lady Saren halfheartedly teasing the cat, which Dashti had named 'My Lord,' with an old sock. Suddenly there were voices outside. Lady Saren shot upright and stared at the wall. "Is it your khan, do you think?" Dashti wondered aloud in a happy voice. "Back already?" Dashti stood, not noticing that Saren was frozen, terror in her eyes, and grabbed the wooden spoon to prop their flap open.<p>

"Don't Dashti!" Lady Saren cried as a hand closed around her maid's wrist. The girl screamed and tried to pull away from the hand covered in a black gauntlet, with spikes covering the wrist.

"Do I have her?" The voice was low and sinister. "Do I have my lady?"

"No…I'm sorry. No…no." Dashti managed.

"Who is this?" He thundered, shaking her arm. Dashti winced.

"I'm Dashti." I'm my lay's maid. I'm the mucker maid."  
>The man laughed loudly. "Yes. I know muckers." He released her arm and she pulled it back. Suddenly his voice grew angry. "Put your arm back!" His voice seemed to shake the tower and the cat hissed.<p>

Dashti grimaced, looking back at her still frozen lady, then gingerly placed her hand through the hole. He touched her fingers gently, the slapped her hand hard against the wall. The girl whimpered and pulled away, but his voice came back, soft and sickly sweet. "Back down, Dashti the mucker maid." She lowered her hand and once again he struck it. Hot tears of pain and anger ran down the girl's face, but she didn't move until Saren grabbed her and pulled her away, throwing both of them back on the mattress.

"Stay here!" She commanded.

Dashti nodded. "You growl and yell all you like. I'll obey her first." She mumbled fiercely. "No wonder she refused to marry him."

"Are you in there, Lady Saren? Do you believe you're hiding, stashed in a tower all the world can see? You're not very good at the hiding game. You never were." Lady Saren covered her eyes and sobbed as he spoke, squeaking when she managed to take a breath. "Your father hobbled to my land!" He called. "He came to see me, whining like a girl in two braids! He told me, 'My daughter awaits you in the watchtower on the border of our lands. Knock down the walls! Take her, bound and gagged, I care not!"

Dashti crawled over to the sobbing girl and put a hand on her back and another on her stomach. "Do you know the song for bitter sorrow?" She asked as his voice invaded the tower. "Darker river, blacker river, faster river, pulling me." She sang again and again as he spoke.

"I remember your eyes when we first met! Your eyes were as dull as a cow's, but you looked lovely dressed in silks. You still do, don't you my jewel? You are beautiful adorned in gold, so who cares about your dim eyes? And I remember how your eyes changed after sleeping one night in my house! You no longer had cow eyes, but mouse eyes, the wide eyes of prey. How much I enjoyed that night, I really can't express. Besides you, there's only one other person still living whom I've allowed to see me feeding." Dashti frowned at his words, but continued singing to the now terrified girl. Saren clung to her maid, quaking. "I hope you feel that honor, Lady Saren. I trusted you with that secret because I know you'd never dare tell. That's when I wanted you as my own. But I wont knock down this tower for you, not today. I won't force you out yet. I'm having too much fun."

Then there was silence for a while, both girls still shaking. "You'd met him before, my lady?" Dashti whispered. Lady Saren looked at her.

"Cut!"

Everyone looked over at Maya. She was shaking her head. "Halee! " She sighed and walked over. "Everyone take ten. Halee, we need to talk." Kyoko stood up, offering a hand to Halee who ignored her, rolling over and jumping off of the mattress. Kyoko sighed as she watched her go. It was the end of the week and she was tired. After Maria and the President had left, she had gone back to work, filming small scenes, scenes where Lady Saren and Dashti sat listlessly in the tower. She looked at her watch and yawned. It was 5 in the evening on Friday and she was exhausted. She went to her dressing room at sat down. Today had started off well, but no matter how she tried, she couldn't get Halee to act authentically. The girl had been in a bad mood when she came in, and it only got worse. They had been doing this scene for an hour now and her hand was killing her. She winced as she rubbed it, walking out of her dressing room to get a bottle of water.

"You okay?" She looked up and found Ian leaning against the wall near her. "I tried not to hurt you but…"

"We've done the scene at least 7 times. No matter how gentle you were, it was still going to hurt if you made it look authentic." She smiled softly at the older man. "Are you sick of threatening us yet?"

He laughed, his deep voice booming around her, making her smile as well. "I think everyone's tired." He said simply. "And Maya is probably regretting hiring her."

Kyoko longed to defend her costar and belittle herself compared to a professional American actress, but Rosa shoved her away and gave Ian a small smile. "I wouldn't say that, but I think any further filming today would be pointless."

"Come on Rosa." He said softly. "Admit it. She's not very good."

Rosa's eyes narrowed and she turned a cool gaze on him. "I will not." She gave him a smile, but her eyes were blazing. "It's not my place to question the director's choices." His eyes widened as the beautiful young woman walked away, leaving him alone in the hallway.

* * *

><p>Kuu pulled up to the building where Kyoko was filming. He had told her that he would pick her up since he was finishing around the same time. He checked his digital clock. 9:00. He parked and waiting, honking when he saw her exit the building. She looked over, and then strolled purposefully to his car, slipping into the passenger seat. As soon as she was hidden behind his tinted windows, she sighed and slumped in her seat.<p>

"Bad day?" He asked sympathetically.

"Horrible." She rubbed her still smarting hand. "I've been doing the same scene most of the day. The director gave up an hour ago." She sighed and he looked over in concern. He gently reached over and took her hand.

"You okay?"

"Fine. I'll just ice it when I get home." She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you for picking me up, Father." She smiled and he returned it, squeezing her hand gently.

"Of course." He said cheerfully.

* * *

><p>Yashiro stared at Ren in shock. He had known that his friend was lying about his name…but he looked like a completely different person. Ren offered a small smile. "Well? What do you think?"<p>

"Um…wow. Ren…uh…Kuon?" Ren smiled.

"Either. It doesn't matter."

"Okay. Ren, why is it going to be such a big deal to Kyoko that you are Kuon?"

Ren shook his head with a rueful smile. "That's not really the important part, Yukihito."

* * *

><p>Kyoko drug herself up the stairs and into her room, somehow managed to take a shower, and then changed into a comfortable pair of jeans and an older shirt. She had told her mother that she was going to cook dinner for them, but she hadn't known how late she would be filming. She left her room and headed for the kitchen. Looking down into the living room, she saw her father, her mother, and another figure, tall and blonde with broad shoulders and a thin waist. 'Hm. I wonder who that is? He sort of looks like Ren.' She started to call a greeting when she remembered Kuon's email earlier in the week. A huge grin slit her face and she hurried down the stairs silently. "Corn!" She called, finally reaching the bottom. The man stiffened.<p>

Kuu spotted her a split second before she called out to Kuon, but he didn't have time to say anything. One look at his son's face and he knew that the boy was terrified.

Kuon stiffened. 'I'm not ready for this. I'm scared.' He took a deep breath. 'I am ready. I've lied to her for long enough.' He turned. 'I love her too much to lie anymore.'

Kyoko frowned when he stiffened, but took a deep breath in relief once he turned. 'I must have just startled him.' He turned and she caught sight of his face in profile. 'Wait.' He turned and looked at her fully, hesitating only a second before meeting her now contactless golden eyes with his bright green ones. 'Wait. No. He's…'

Kuon looked deep into her eyes. 'She recognizes me. Of course she does.'

"Kuon?" She asked quietly. He nodded, a gentle smile on his face. "Ren?" Again, he nodded, and he could see the realization in her eyes as every puzzle piece fell into place. "Corn?" A tear slipped down her cheek. He nodded for a third time, longing to wipe the tear away but not daring to move, to break the spell that seemed to have transported them to a world where only they existed. She didn't see Yukihito standing nearby, confused, and mouthing the word Corn to her father. She didn't see her mother and father lead him out the room giving them their privacy. "Anyone else?" She ventures with a watery smile. Laughing a little, he shook his head.

He watched her hesitantly. 'She isn't angry…yet…?' He watched her wipe a tear away, but another one replaced it just as quickly, and suddenly he was right in front of her, holding her up as she collapsed against him, sobbing. "Come on." He said softly. "Come sit down." He half carried her to the couch and sat her down, holding her against him. "I'm so sorry. I'm so so sorry that I lied to you."

"Why?" She whimpered. She raised her head and their eyes met. "Why did you let me think that you…" She broke off, shaking her head, trying to make everything fit. She took a deep breath. "Why did you agree to contact me as Corn?"

"Because I love you." He said instantly. "Because I missed you so much and I just wanted to talk to you. Because you deserved some sort of contact with your childhood friend. And because I eventually wanted to tell you who I was." He held her, rocking them back and forth as he whispered to her.

"I am such an idiot." She sobbed. "I trusted you, and father, and you lied to me." He froze at the pain in her eyes.

"No!" He gripped her shoulder gently. "Look at me." She did, and he was at least thankful that she hadn't shoved him away. "I love you. This…this lie, this deception, was my entire life. Do you understand? It was something I had to do. Someone died because of something I did, Kyoko. My best friend died because of what I did. I couldn't live with myself. I had to become someone else. I ran away." He touched her cheek. "Then you came back into my life and that was the beginning of the end of the lie. I fell in love with you, the sweet little girl I tried so hard to cheer up, who grew up to be the strong young woman who is so perfect." He smiled at her tenderly, and she couldn't help but give a small, albeit watery, one of her own. "Do you remember when you helped me find Katsuki?" She nodded. "I didn't find Katsuki. I found myself." He wrapped his arms around her and she leaned against his chest. "I realized that I loved you, and that I couldn't stay in character around you."

"I love you." She whispered into his chest. He pulled back and stared at her in shock, and she could see it. The insecurity, the pain, the fear, but most of all, the desperation. 'He loves me. He's scared because he thinks I'm going to reject him.' "I love you." She repeated it, looking into his eyes. "So I trust you." He placed a hand behind her head, smiling a bright, loving smile at her, and pulled her face close to his. She leaned forward and touched her lips to his, relishing in the feel of his arms encircling her. His lips moved against hers, and she couldn't think anymore. Instead, she let him lead her, rubbing her back with one hand and stroking her hair with another.

He pulled away but stayed centimeters away from her face. "Thank you." He whispered. "I don't deserve it. But thank you." She smiled, pulling close to him again and wrapping her arms around him, resting her head against his shoulder.

"Are you two done yet?" Yashiro stood in front of them, arms crossed. She laughed a little into his neck and Ren smiled.

"We are actually." She sat up and they looked up at him.

"Good. Because your father says that he is starving but doesn't want to interrupt."

"Oh!" Kyoko jumped up. "I need to make dinner! Yukihito, Corn, you're the guests. What would you like?" Both smiled at the nickname, but neither commented on its use.

'As long as she's mine, and I'm hers, she can call me whatever she wants, if it will make her happy.' "Anything is fine. Do you need any help?"

"Hehe. No. I'll get Father to help." She said gently, not wanting to hurt his feelings. He laughed.

"Are you suggesting that I'm not any help in the kitchen?" He asked in a mock hurt voice. She only laughed and left them in the living room.

They followed anyway, watching as she buzzed around the kitchen with Kuu, somehow assembling a mean fit for thirty. "By the way, Yukihito, how's Moko-san?"

Ren snorted and Yukihito paled. "Um…fine?" He looked at the girl's mischievous smile and nearly groaned. "What did she tell you?" Kyoko smirked.

"Moko-san is my best friend." She informed him. "She tells me everything."

**A/N: Yes, it was fluffy sweetness...but I loved writing it. I loved this chapter! I've been waiting so long! hehe. Okay, so what do you think?**


	27. More News

**A/N: Sorry it took so long. I've been swamped with finals. I hope you like this chapter. By the way, does anyone know if Franky House will ever be back…ever? Anyway, here you go We may be getting close to the end…. (Please excuse errors… I think I got them but I will go back and fix them as quickly as I can if you point them out.) **

Chapter 27: More News

Kuu and Kyoko chopped and cooked and moved around the kitchen effortlessly as Kuon and Julie pulled dishes out of the cabinets and set the table. Yukihito had excused himself a few minutes ago when Kanae had called and Kyoko kept giggling and trying to talk to her best friend. When the table was set, Julie and Kuon sat at the table, both knowing better than to offer help. Julie kept looking over at her son, tears in her eyes. He caught her staring and gave her a soft smile "I'm not going anywhere." He informed her gently, taking her hand. She sniffed and gave a little laugh, wiping a tear away. "At least not until Monday. And I'm going to visit."

"I know." She took a shuddering breath and returned his smile. "It's just…I missed you so much, and I'm so glad you're home." He pulled her over and hugged her, fighting his own tears when she pulled back a little and kissed his cheek.

"I missed you too, Mom."

"Hey! I missed you too." Kuu dropped a huge plate of food on the table and Kyoko laughed softly from the stove where she was stirring a pot as the man hugged his son. Julie jumped up and joined them, and Kuu opened an arm and pulled them both in. Kyoko smiled softly into the pot and Kuu looked up. "Wait a minute." He paused and looked first at his son, then at his wife, and then at the air beside his son. Julie laughed softly. "I think we're missing someone." Kuon grinned over at Kyoko, then glided over to where so stood.

"Kuon I can't stop stirring or ah!" She squeaked when he wrapped his arms around her waist and gently picked her up, carrying her over to their parents and setting her down where they were both pulled into Kuu's embrace. Kyoko relaxed into the group hug, letting a tear slip down her face.

"Now that you've met Kuon…" Kuu let go and smiled down at her as Kuon put his arm around her shoulder. "…we have some more news for you." She frowned, confused, as he held out a large envelope. "Saena signed the papers." She gasped and Kuon squeezed her shoulder. "Your father now has custody and has given his permission, as your legal guardian, for you to work at LME." She covered her face with her hands, happy tears falling from her eyes, a large smile blooming on her face. Kuon pulled her to him and kissed her hair.

"I can go home." She whispered, looking up and meeting Kuon's eyes. "I can go back to Japan when i'm done filming!" Suddenly she froze, pain filling her eyes. Kuon watching in concern as she turned to Kuu and Julie. Julie, understanding immediately, stepped forward and took her hands.

"You're going to be here, with us, at least until your contract runs out, sweetie. And you can come see us any time you want." She wiped the girl's eyes as tears once again fell from her eyes.

"I finally have a family." She whispered. "I don't…I can't loose that." She looked at her parents, pleadingly, wishing desperately that they could do something.

"You aren't going to. That's what family means." Kuu looked into her eyes seriously. "Family is forever. And you have more family, waiting for you in Japan, as soon as you are ready to meet them." She nodded, drying her eyes. "Now, I think that's all the major news we need to share with you. So maybe we can eat now." They laughed, Kyoko a little hesitantly, and Kyoko pointed upstairs.

Kuon sighed. "Is he still on the phone with her?" He walked over to the stove and pulled the pot off the flame so the food wouldn't burn.

Kyoko smiled. "I'll go get him."

* * *

><p>Kanae held the phone to her ear as she sat in her dressing room, clenching her teeth. "What do you mean, you can't tell me!" She screeched. "I'm your <strong>girlfriend<strong>! How dare you not tell me something that affects my BEST friend? What is Tsuruga doing to her?"

"Kanae, it's not for me to tell you! I'm sure she'll tell you as soon as…"

"How long have you known?"

"Um…how long have I known what?"

"Whatever secret he's told her!"

"Um…well I've known part of it for a few weeks…"

"And you never bothered mentioning it!" Suddenly she heard Kyoko's voice.

"Yukihito, we're eating! Are you ready?"

"Just a second Kyo…"

"Let me talk to her!" He sighed.

"Kanae can't this…"

"Yukihito! Let me talk to her!" He sighed again.

"Kyoko, Kanae wants to talk to her."

"Oh! Okay!" Kanae looked at her phone.

'She doesn't seem depressed….she sounds happy actually…'

"Hello? Moko-san!"

"Hey Kyoko." She said suspiciously.

"How are you? You wanted to talk to me?"

"Are you…are you okay?" She asked, side stepping the question.

"I'm fine. What's wrong Moko-san?"

"What did Tsuruga say to you?" She asked.

"Oh." Kanae frowned at the long pause. "Moko-san…I…I can't say yet…"

"What do you mean?" Her voice was dangerously soft.

"Moko-san…Ren…he told me something that…I just can't say. As soon as I ask him…"

"Fine." Kanae snapped, hurt filling her eyes. "I thought we were best friends, but apparently…"

"MOKO-SAN! Please don't be angry with me!" She could hear the tears in her friend's voice and sighed, irritated at the girl's ability to suck her anger away. "I'm so sorry but I have to ask Ren before I can tell you and I really want to talk to you about it but I can come home because my father got custody but I have to wait until my contract here is up and I'm going to miss Mother and Father and…"

"MO! Okay!" Kanae suppressed a smile. "Slow down. Now, tell me everything you can."

* * *

><p>During dinner, Kyoko found herself nodding off, and was only saved from face planting in her food by Yukihito's quick reflexes. Kuon chucked softly and put a hand on her shoulder, turning her to face him. "Long day?" She managed a tired smile and nodded. "Why don't you go to bed then?" She nodded again.<p>

"Hmm…okay. Let me just do the dishes."

"I'll do them." Yukihito insisted, standing and gathering up his and Kyoko's. "You all cooked and prepared the table. I need to do something too." Kyoko smiled at him and headed upstairs, Kuon following behind.

When they reached her room, she wrapped her arms around him and he pulled them both inside, closing the door behind them with a soft click. He cupped her face and kissed her softly, stroking her back with his other hand. When he pulled away, she leaned tiredly against him and he chucked, holding her up. "Come on. You're exhausted. I'll see you tomorrow. Good night."

"Okay. Good night." They parted and he was about to leave when she headed for the door, an irritated look on her face. "What are you doing?"

"I forgot ice." She told him simply, and he frowned in confusion.

"Ice?"

"Mmhm. For my hand." She realized that he didn't know about the filming and lifted her hand, showing him the red skin and the scrapes on the back. "I just want to make sure it doesn't get worse." She explained. His eyes narrowed and he gently took her hand.

"What happened?" He demanded softly, his imagination more than happy to fill in the details.

"It was part of a scene that we had to do over and over because the other actress…" She stopped and blushed a little. "I shouldn't be talking about her like that. Sorry. I just had to keep doing the scene where a man had to hit my hand."

"Just get changed and sit down." He urged her, walking over to the door. "I'll bring you some ice."

"Oh. Thank you." She smiled cheerfully and went to change.

When he arrived back in her room, she was leaning against the pillows, eyes closed, a soft smile on her lips. He smiled and walked over, gently sitting beside her and placing the towel filled with ice on her hand. Looking at it again, he knew that it wasn't serious, but the way she curled against him made it hard to leave. Finally, when his eyes started to droop, he put the towel in the sink and left her alone after kissing her gently on the forehead.

Kyoko's dreams were sweet until she suddenly felt alone. She was dreaming of Kuon, and right with she was wrapping her arms around him, about to kiss him, he turned and left her. She whimpered and tried calling out to him, but her mouth wouldn't work. 'Please!' She thought as loudly as she could. 'Don't leave me! I just got you back!' She woke suddenly, wrapped in covers and sweating with tears falling from her eyes. 'What? What happened?' She looked at the clock blearily. It was 2 in the morning. She was exhausted but the fear and sorrow had gripped her heart, and she felt like she wouldn't be okay until she saw him.

Standing, she made her way silently to her door in the dark, then across the hall, and she slipped into his room. Walking over to his bed, she sighed in relief when she saw his sleeping face. 'He's here! He didn't leave me…it was just a silly dream.' As if he knew he was being watched, his eyes opened slowly, and he started when he saw her. "I…I'm sorry." She backed away, whispering.

Kuon looked up at her sadly when he saw her tear streaked face. He sat up and reached out for her hand. "No. It's okay. What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

"I…it's stupid. I just had a bad dream and…" He tugged gently, opening his arms to catch her, and pulled her down into bed with him.

"It's not stupid. I'm sorry you had a bad dream. What was it about?" He pulled the covers on top of her and she stiffed. He saw the fearful look on her face and rubbed her back until she relaxed a little. "Shh. It's fine. I'm not going to do anything to you. Relax." He whispered until she finally leaned against him and he repeated his question.

"You left me." She whispered. "I was alone…I was so scared and sad…" He held her tightly, kissing her hair.

"I'm not leaving you." He whispered back. "I love you. Do you want to stay in here?" She thought about it for a moment, and then nodded just a tiny bit. He smiled and shifted so she would be more comfortable. She fell asleep almost instantly, and he relished in the feel of her being near him.

* * *

><p>Kyoko woke slowly, not wanting to give up the comfortable, warm state she was in. On the other hand, Kuon had been awake for an hour when she began to stir. When she mumbled quietly and burrowed her head into his neck, he smiled and rubbed her back. 'I could get used to this.' He thought as she smiled. She opened her eyes slowly and they met his.<p>

'I'm so comfortable.' She thought happily. 'Wait…something's moving on my back…where am I? I'm not in my bed?' She opened her eyes and felt her cheeks heat up and her eyes widened. "Um…good morning." She said softly.

"Good morning." He chucked softly and she the vibrations in her own as she was pressed against him. Her head was resting on his arm and their legs were intertwined. She pulled her legs away and he lifted his to help her untangle herself.

"How…um…" She looked away. "How did I get in here?" He smiled

"You had a nightmare and came in here. I offered to let you sleep in here and you can guess the rest." She smiled, blushing more as the memories came back to her.

"What time is it?"

Kuon looked over at the clock, rejoicing privately that she hadn't jumped away or screamed at him. "It's ten o'clock. Do you have work today?"

"No. Not until Monday evening. Director song won't wok on the weekends." She laughed a little. "I thought it was strange but is it common in America?"

"Hmm. I guess it all depends on the director." He paused and brought a hand up to her face. "How did you sleep?"

She smiled. "I slept well. Thank you. You?"

"Best sleep I've had in a long time." He grinned, his eyes narrowing, and she fought back a gulp at the emergence of the emperor of the night. He leaned down and her breath caught when he kissed her. She closed her eyes and let him lead her, relaxing in his arms. When he licked her lips softly, she gasped and he took it as in invitation. She felt herself turn to mush and was glad she was lying down or she would have needed him to hold her up. He pulled away after a few seconds, not wanting to scare her, and leaned back in to kiss her forehead. "Good morning."

She giggled. "Good morning."

**A/N: So, I'm sorry it is short. It's just that I'm super busy but wanted to write something really badly, so this is as much as I can do right now. Please let me know what you think. I'll try to respond to you all as quickly as possible. ;D Also, thank you so much to everyone who reviews, adds my story to your alerts, and to your favorites! I appreciate it so much and it is so encouraging.**


	28. A Date

**A/N: So…this is mostly fluff. It was a lot of fun to write, an I'm sorry if it's boring. I hope you enjoy it. Sorry it took a while…but finals are almost over! :D **

**A/N: I went back and made revisions. Hopefully this is better :) No major changes though.**

Chapter 28: A Date

(It rhymes…hehe…8, Date…sorry. I love things that rhyme!)

"Why don't we go out today?" Kyoko froze at his words.

"Um…do…uh…do you mean you and me and Yukihito and Father and…"

"No." He looked up from the dish he was putting away and raised an eyebrow. "I mean you and me."

"Uh…we…does this mean that we…" She blushed and stared into the dishwater, grateful that Kuu and Julie were in the other room and that Yukihito was sleeping in.

"I'm pretty sure that doesn't constitute as a sentence in either Japanese or English." He grinned. "Wanna try again?"

"I…I thought…" She sighed and took a deep breath. "Are we dating?" She asked softly, forcing her voice to work.

He put the dish away and walked over to where she stood, placing a hand on her shoulder and turning her toward him. She looked up into his eyes and they softened. "I love you." He told her simply. "The only reason I didn't want to talk about our relationship the last time I came was because I hadn't told you who I was. You didn't want to because we were going to be so far away from each other."

"I still can't come back until I finish filming here." She said sadly, and he nodded.

"That's true, but I'm not leaving you." Her eyes widened and he went on before she could protest. "I have to work during the week, but Yukihito is working on clearing my schedule on most weekends for the next few months." She was shaking her head, but he squeezed her shoulder. "I'm not leaving you for that long. I love you too much." She blushed brightly but didn't look away. She could see the sincerity in his eyes and couldn't argue with him.

"You don't have to." She couldn't help but whisper. "I'm not worth sacrificing your career."

He squeezed her shoulder again, his eyes narrowing. "Kyoko." He said firmly, "Don't you ever say anything like that again, do you hear me?" Her eyes widened at his cold voice and she nodded. His eyes softened. "You are worth so much more to me than my career. I would give it all up for you if it made you happy." She flinched remembering her own words when she had been with Sho.

'As long as Sho is happy…that's what I thought. But…Sho would have made me his total slave for his own happiness…but I would never do that to Kuon, and I'm sure he would never do it to me.' She found herself being pulled against him.

"I hate hearing you talk about yourself like that." He told her softly. "How would you feel if I did that? What if I went around saying that I'm not worthy of you, and that I'm not good enough to be with you?" She jerked away.

"You could never say that!" She cried. "You're a fantastic actor, the number one most desired man in Japan! How could you not be worthy of me!" He grinned softly.

"See. It would upset you." She frowned a little. "I think that you are the most amazing woman in the world." She blushed. "Now, I'm asking you to go out with me today." He grinned. "Are you turning me down?"

"N…no! Of course not! I mean…of course I'll go out with you today." He grinned happily.

Kyoko ran upstairs to change from her pajamas and Kuon sat at the table. A few seconds later, Kuu walked in and joined his son. "Where are you two going?" He wondered. Kuon gave him a smirk.

"Were you eavesdropping?" He asked in easy English, making his father laugh.

"Where are you taking her?"

"On a date." He told his father simply.

"Do you have any idea where?" Kuon laughed.

"I don't know actually. A movie?" He shrugged. "Doesn't really matter. I just want to spend the day with her." Kuu nodded.

"Alright. Well your mother and I are going out. Yukihito told me that he was staying in today. I think he's still working on your schedule. Take care of my daughter, Kuon." He ruffled his son's hair like he had when Kuon was a kid, making Kuon duck and smile, and then headed back upstairs to get his wife. Kuon walked upstairs as well after a few minutes, knocking on his manager's door.

A sleepy Yukihito answered the door, a cellphone next to his ear, and a glove on his hand. He raised an eyebrow but stepped back so that Kuon could come in. Yukihito spoke quietly into the phone, then hung up. "Good morning Ren." He greeted softly. "Is something wrong?"

"Good morning." He paused, watching his manager. "I was going to ask you the same thing. Are you okay? You didn't come to breakfast and you're still on the phone." Yukihito smiled tiredly.

"I'm fine." He laughed. "I'm still working on getting you free next weekend." He grimaced as he looked down at a notebook. "It shouldn't take too much longer. After that, it will be easier."

"What do I have next weekend?"

"Filming all day Friday, three interviews and two modeling gigs on Saturday, and.." He turned a page. "Sunday you have an interview and a meeting for a new project, but it's not until…4." He turned another page. "The weekend after will be easier…and after that it will only take one or two more phone calls." Kuon nodded slowly, watching his manager pull out his phone and dial another number.

"Hey…Yukihito…?"

"Hmm?" He asked absentmindedly.

"Don't worry about next weekend. Just the ones after, okay? I don't have to come back every weekend if it's too hard on you."

Yukihito smiled at him, sighing in relief. "That's good. Thanks. Will Kyoko be okay with that?"

"She's fine with it." They both looked up at the smiling girl in the doorway and Kuon took a deep breath.

'No! You cannot grab her and strip her right now. Yukihito is in the room! I'm in my parents' house and they consider her a daughter. Not to mention, she's not ready. Deep breath. In…out…' Kuon looked her up and down, first at her shoulder length brown hair, and shining green eyes, wishing that she would take the contacts out, then at the low cut V-neck, form fitting t-shirt, and finally down her long, thin legs covered in tight denim.

"Are you okay, Yukihito?" She asked softly, cocking her head. He smiled softly at the girl.

"Fine. Just tired. I've been trying to clear his schedule al morning."

"Kuon, you don't have to come here every weekend!" She noticed him narrowing his eyes and hurried to explain. "I'm really happy that you're coming to see me! But I would feel horrible if your career suffered because of me. Please, if it's too much trouble, don't cancel everything for me."

Kuon smiled softly. "Okay. We'll see how it goes." She nodded and he took her elbow. "Are you ready?"

"Yes." She smiled at Yukihito. "Have a good day. Tell Moko-san hi for me." She said sweetly, and he sighed, wondering if his friends would ever give up teasing him.

Since they had just eaten breakfast, Kuon decided to take her to a movie. They borrowed one of Kuu's cars and headed to the movie theater near by. Kuon bought the tickets and found them seats in the middle. When the lights went out, Kuon put his arm around her and she leaned against him. "I love you." He whispered. She smiled and tried to focus on the movie.

"Love you too." She whispered, not taking her eyes off the screen.

"Have I told you how beautiful you look?" He whispered in her ear, causing her to stiffen a little and making a jolt of electricity shoot down her spine.

"Twice. Thank you again." He grinned at her efforts as she stared fixedly at the screen.

About ten minutes later, he got bored. "Do you like the movie?" He asked, touching her ear with his lips just barely and making her bite her lip to stifle a squeak.

"I don't know. You won't let me watch it." He pulled away and let her watch for a few minutes.

"Do you want any popcorn?"

"Is this how you always act in a movie theater?" He laughed a little louder this time, covering his mouth so that he wouldn't disturb the others watching the movie.

"When I'm with you…yes?" She blushed and slunk in her seat. He reached over and nuzzled her neck. She whimpered softly and tried to pull away, but when he nibbled her neck, she put a hand over her mouth and jerked away.

"Kuon!" She whispered harshly, fighting a smile. "Stop!"

"Why?" He whispered back before kissing her throat.

"Because….we're in public!" She shivered and reached over, holding his shoulders and trying to push him away. Before she could, he touched her cheek and kissed her lips, slipping his tongue between them and making her moan softly. Not knowing what to do, she gently poked his tongue with her own and enjoyed the moan that she caused. He ran his hands down her arms and sides, slipping over the tops of her thighs and down her legs, then back to her stomach and back. She felt like purring, but when she couldn't quite manage it, she moaned instead.

Kuon slipped his hand on the inside of her thigh but pulled away when she stiffened and her eyes opened, hints of fear showing suddenly. "Sorry." He whispered gently, pulling away. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back over to him, rubbing her arms and back again, staying away from her legs. She relaxed again and brought her hands up to his chest and over his shoulders, massaging him. He smiled at the feeling and deepened the kiss, slipping his tongue in her mouth again.

"Mommy…what are they doing?" Kuon heard a gasp and pulled away, looking over at the little girl staring at him over the seat with wide eyes and the girl's mother staring at him in horror.

Kuon felt his face heat up and looked down as a very red Kyoko dove into his chest and hid her face. "Uh…I…uh…I'm sorry." He smiled at the woman lamely and she rolled her eyes.

"Come on sweetie. We'll move to the front." She grabbed her daughter and, after giving them a disgusted glare, pulled her daughter behind her. Kuon looked down at the red girl pressed against him and sighed, blushing again.

"Sorry." He whispered, leaning down and kissing the top of her head. "Don't be mad." He pleaded. "I'm sorry. I won't do it again. I'm sorry." He touched her shoulder and felt her shaking. Alarmed, he tried to get a look at her face which was covered by her hands. "Kyoko, I'm sorry. Don't cry, sweetie! Please…I didn't…" He froze when he got a look at her face in the dark theater. She pulled away, hands over her mouth, desperately trying to stifle her laughter. His jaw dropped.

"Your face!" She managed when she was able to take a breath. "You were so red." She sighed, looking away in embarrassment.

'Well…at least she's not mad…' He stifled a groan when she gasped for breath between laughter. 'Maybe a movie wasn't a good idea…I still have no idea what it's about.'

Kuon and Kyoko left halfway through the movie when neither was interested or even knew what was going on. In the car, Kyoko giggled occasionally, then, laughed again at Kuon's red face. "I'm sorry." She finally said. "I'm embarrassed too." He looked over and was momentarily stunned. A delicate blush covered her face, with was turned toward the ground, and a sweet smile was on her lips.

"It's fine." He finally managed. "Although I guess the movie was a bad idea, since neither of us were watching it."

"Whose fault was that!" Kyoko cried, and Kuon laughed.

"Okay I'm sorry." He glanced over at her, a smirk on his lips. "But I couldn't help it." She blushed again, but smiled softly. "Is there something else you want to do?" He asked softly.

She shook her head. "Anything you want to do is fine." She told him.

"Hmm. I think I have an idea." He said with a smile.

* * *

><p>Yukihito picked up his phone, a happy, surprised expression lighting up his face as soon as he read the caller ID. "Hey. Is everything okay?" He asked as soon as he picked up the phone.<p>

Kanae's sleepy voice greeted him. "Everything's fine. How are you?"

"I'm okay. What are you doing up so early?" He asked in concern. "It's only 5 in the morning."

"It's three in the morning." She said with a sleepy laugh at his bad math. "But I couldn't sleep. How is rescheduling Ren's life going?"

"Good." He laughed softly. "Are you sure you're okay?"

She sighed. "I'm fine. I think I'm getting sick." He frowned, noticing the hoarseness of her voice.

"Then why aren't you resting?" He cried.

"I can't really sleep." She admitted.

"I'll be back Monday morning." He said softly. "I'll come see you."

"No." She said coldly, her voice hardening. "You will not. Then you'll get sick, and Ren won't have a manager, and it will all be my fault."

"Kanae, you're my girlfriend! I'm not leaving you alone when you're sick." He said gently. She went silent. "Are you going to ask your mom or dad to visit and take care of you?"

"No. My parents are on vacation." She told him frankly. "They never were big on sticking around to take care of their kids."

He sighed, shoulders slumping. "I'm sorry. Listen, I'm coming on Monday. You probably shouldn't go to work if you are sick."

"I am **going **to work!" She snapped. "I am a professional and…" Yukihito chucked softly, holding the phone away from his ear as she lectured him about the duties of a professional.

'She and Kyoko are so similar…'

* * *

><p>Kyoko and Kuon sat up on the top of the hill, overlooking the group of people that sat around on the beach and played in the water. They were sitting in the middle of a group of trees, the wind blowing Kyoko's hair in her face. Kuon laughed as she gave a frustrated huff and pinned it behind her ear once more. He reached over and assisted her. "I use to come here all the time when I was a kid." He told her softly. "I would watch everyone playing on the beach and daydream about being an actor like my dad." He sighed. "Then when I started getting fired, I would come here and…and wish that I could be like my father." He said sadly. "I would wish that I could somehow live up to what they all expected me to be and…" He broke off when she kissed his cheek softly. He looked down at her surprised.<p>

"I don't like seeing you sad." She mumbled, staring at the ground. He felt the sadness lift and smiled down at her.

"Thank you." He mumbled, wrapping his arms around her. She felt him push her down and let him, coming to rest on the ground with him lying beside her. He wrapped his arms around her and stared up at the sky. She rested her head on his arm and took a deep breath of the fresh air.

"I'm going to miss it here when I go back." She said softly. "It's so beautiful here, and I'll miss Mother and Father, and living with them…" She closed her eyes as he rubbed her arm.

"We can visit." He assured her softly. Something about the way he said 'we' made her smile.

"I know. I'll miss them thought."

"I know. I miss them all the time."

"What was it like?" She asked as the clouds drifted over their head. "Coming to Japan, by yourself?"

"Scary." He admitted softly. "So terrifying that I couldn't explain it in words. But I didn't have any other choice. And now I'm glad I did it." She smiled at him when he took her hand. "What about you?"

She looked over at him. "Do you mean coming to America?"

"Hmm? Oh. Actually I mean moving to Tokyo."

"Oh." Her eyes dimmed for a second. "Um…it's not really the same. I came with Shotaro." She said simply, not wanting to make him angry by talking about Sho. His eyes softened when he realized what she was doing.

"I really want to know." He said softly.

"Okay." She said softly. "Um…after I got done with my chores one day, Sho asked me to walk with him. I…" Her eyes closed and she willed the old anger away. "I agreed and he said that his parents were going to make him marry a…" She took a deep breath and leaned against his shoulder. "A plain, boring girl from Kyoto, and he was running away to Tokyo to become a rock star. I said yes." She lifted her head when he shifted his arm and kissed her temple, blushing a little, but getting used to it slowly. "I went back to my room, packed, and the next night Sho and I got on the train to Tokyo and…" She shrugged. "It was hard at first. Sho hated the only apartment we could afford with the money we had saved, so I had to get a job while he was trying to get into an agency. He was always angry that we had to live in such a shabby place, so I got another job." She felt the anger waves radiating from the man next to her and stopped. Other than squeezing her tightly, he didn't say anything, so she decided to go on. "So I worked at the restaurant where I lived before I left and another fast food place. I couldn't afford high school, so I just worked hard and was quickly able to afford a really expensive apartment. Then…well I moved out…" She sighed. "I never felt really scared or sad, since I wasn't alone, until right before I joined LME. I didn't think I would be able to get an audition, then I met you, and I nearly gave up after failing the audition."

Kuon grimaced when he looked over at her face. "I'm sorry." He said quietly. Her eyes widened.

"No! You were just…"

"Incredibly mean to you." He finished firmly, rolling over and looking at her. "And I can't believe I haven't apologized yet. I'm so sorry for how I treated you." She nodded.

"I forgive you." She said simply and he grinned.

'She's grown up so much.' He realized. He looked back up at the sky. "Sorry this is kind of a sucky first date."

"I don't know what you're talking about." She squeezed his hand. "I'm having a great time with you."

Lunch was in a small café near the beach, and much to Kyoko and Kuon's delight, no one recognized the tall blonde man and his small brown haired girlfriend eating and strolling down the beach. As often as he could, Kuon grabbed Kyoko's hand, and by the end of the day she was allowing it with only a slight blush and the occasional squeak. They talked more about Kuon's past, and, eventually, about Kyoko's. She was reluctant to talk about the details of Sho leaving her, but he eventually got it out of her. She found that without the anger protecting her heart, the old story caused as much pain as it had when it happened. Kuon pulled her close and promised that no one would ever hurt her again if he had anything to do with it. Afterwards, he had told her the entire story behind Rick's death, and she had sobbed with him as he fought his way through those horrible memories.

In the end, they found themselves back at the house, in the living room, with Kyoko in Kuon's arms. He was flipping through the channels, not paying attention to what they were watching. 'I can't believe I can do this. I cannot believe that she is mine, and I am finally hers, and that I can just hold her.' He leaned over and kissed her cheek and she blushed, ducking and hiding her head. 'I can do that any time I want.' He thought with a grin.

* * *

><p>Lory and Kyouta sat in Lory's office, working through the paperwork. Kyouta signed the documents and looked up at his daughter's boss. "Do you think it would be a good idea to surprise her?"<p>

"No." The man's voice was firm. "You need to wait for her to come to you. She's not ready for this yet."

"When will she be ready?" He asked impatiently. "I just…I just want to meet her. She's my daughter!"

"You will." Lory reassured him. "But only when she is okay with it. If you rush her, she won't be able to handle it."

* * *

><p>Kuon looked down at the girl sitting next to him. "Kyoko…have you thought about meeting your father?" He asked softly. She stiffened and he looked over in concern. She was shaking her head no. "Kyoko, you know that you have to do this eventually, right?" She looked up at him fearfully, and he saw blind panic in her eyes. "Hey, why are you so afraid of this?" He asked softly, pulling her over. She shook her head against and squeezed his hand.<p>

"What if he doesn't like…"

"Kyoko!" He cried in exasperation, then immdiatly regretted it when she whimpered and pulled away. He wrapped his arms around her, not letting her go. "Shh, don't be scared." He whispered in her ear. "I'm sorry." He waited for a second. "Why would you think that he wouldn't like you when he went through so much trouble to get custody of you? Even if that happens, which it won't, you will still have me, and Mom and Dad." She shrugged and looked away, and Kuon realized that the fear of rejection ran too deep in this girl to be healed so quickly. "It's okay." He told her simply. "You don't have to do it. Not yet. You can wait until you're ready, and I'll be here for you until then." She smiled gratefully and he kissed her, trying to convey how much he loved and cherished her without scaring her or going too far. 'She's finally mine, but now I have to fight a battle of another kind.' He thought as his hand trailed down her back. 'Behave!' He told it firmly. 'She doesn't need any more complications right now.'

* * *

><p>As the thought was running through his mind, a blonde musician stepped off of a plane and strolled into he airport. 'I'm coming to find you, Kyoko.'<p>

**A/N:Yawn. So sleepy! I hope you like the chapter. I should be studying...**


	29. The One With Sho

**A/N: I don't own Skip Beat...Or Book of A Thousand Days. I hope you all know that by now. lol. I know that some of you got the book. Yay. Do you like it? Any scenes that you can't wait to see? Enjoy.**

Chapter 29: The One With Sho

(I blame the title on the fact that I've been watching every episode of every season of Friends...lol)

Finding out that Kyoko was in America hadn't been as difficult as he had suspected. Lory had given him the information when Sho had come in, asking if there had been any progress. Lory had informed him that Kyoko was staying with a friend, secretly of course, and that she was working in a movie. A little more begging had gotten him the name of the movie, "A Thousand Days." After some internet research, he had found out where the movie was filming, and was determined to find her. His manager had disagreed.

"Sho, leave her alone. She's probably going through a hard time right now and doesn't need you to show up and make things worse for her." She had scolded him.

"I'm not going to do anything to her! I just need to talk to her. I…want to see her." Sho had stared so pleadingly at his manager that she couldn't refuse.

"You have three days, Sho. That's all you can afford to take off. I expect you back before Tuesday afternoon." She said simply. He had agreed and was now checking into his hotel.

"Can I help you, sir?"

Sho nearly groaned. English had always been his worst subject. "A room please?" He asked, and the man pecked at his computer.

"How long with you be staying sir?"

"Um…3 nights." Sho managed in accented English.

"Very well, sir. That will be $600." Sho handed him a credit card and the man swiped it. "Here is your key." He handed Sho a key card. "You are in room 433." Sho thanked him and carried his lone suitcase up.

'Now I just have to figure out how to find that studio."

* * *

><p>"Why do you wear a broken watch?" Kyoko was lying on her side, snuggled next to Kuon, who was on his back on her bed. After their date, they had returned to find that Yukihito had cooked everyone dinner. They had all eaten and then Kuu and Julie had disappeared. Yukihito had gone for a walk, and Kyoko had gone up to her room to change, which had somehow led to the present situation. The details were still a little fuzzy in Kyoko's mind, but she remembered a lot of kissing. Eventually, Kuon had pulled away for his own sanity and had pulled her next to him. Her question made him stiffen.<p>

"It was Rick's." He told her softly.

She looked at his face, contorted in pain, and reached for his wrist. Slipping her fingers over the clasp, she pulled the leather through and undid it. He stared at her, not moving, as she slipped the watch from his wrist. She pressed her lips to his wrist and he smiled softly. Rolling onto her back, she lay her hand down on her stomach and fastened the watch around it. He stared at her in surprise. "I want to help you." She whispered, staring at the watch that was no on her wrist. "I don't know if this helps, but…" She was silent when he took her wrist in his hand, studying it for a minute.

"I don't think you know how much it helps." He told her softly, his voice husky. Kuon slipped the little piece of leather through the clasp and pulled it off of her wrist. "But I don't need this anymore." He whispered. "I have you." He reached his hand over the side of the bed where her garbage can sat and dropped the watch.

* * *

><p>It was decided that Kuon and Yukihito would leave on Sunday evening so that Ren could get back to work more quickly. He had a lot to do during the week if he was going to try and take off on the weekends. When the time for them to leave arrived, Kuon and Yukihito stood at the door, luggage in hand, ready to go. Kyoko and Kuon had already said goodbye, but he was loath to leave her. "I'll see in you two weeks. " He told her softly. "I love you." He whispered as he leaned down and kissed her again.<p>

"I love you too. See you soon. Be careful. Make sure you eat!" He chuckled and nodded.

"Of course. Bye."

"Bye Kuon. By Yukihito."

"Goodbye Kyoko." The shorter man waved as they headed out to the car. Kuon looked back once more at the girl in the doorway, and then Ren drove off.

Kuu walked in while Kyoko sat in the poolroom, reading over her script. "You okay?" He asked.

"Mmhmm." She gave him a cheerful smile. "He's going to visit again soon." She chirped, obviously excited. "And we get to start filming again tomorrow evening."

"Yes…that's good." He smiled. "What are you doing for the rest of the day?" He wondered.

She looked down at her script and smiled. "This." He nodded. "What scenes are you filming tomorrow night?" He asked, sitting next to her.

"The one where they escape." She pointed to the script where the scene was outlined and he read it over.

"Hmm. It seems like the story is getting interesting."

"Yes! We will film a few more scenes in the tower but we are getting to the next part. I still have a lot of narration to do."

"Are you doing any of it on Monday?"

"No. We aren't starting that until Tuesday."

* * *

><p>Dashti sat slumped in the corner, halfheartedly eating meat out of an earthy bowl. She looked up for a second when there was a thumping sound. "It was a lookout tower that doesn't look out anymore." Her brow furrowed at the unfamiliar voice and she stood hesitantly. "See here? Steps lead to nothing, and these bricks aren't as old as the rest. The door's been bricked up just like the windows." Dashti's eyes widened and she dropped the bowl and jumped up.<p>

"And who told you there was a lady inside?"

"Who didn't tell me! That's been the rumor for years." Dashti took a step toward the wall.

A small group of men laughed loudly. "Then she's waiting for us, isn't she? Just ripe for the picking." Dashti paled and began to back away, glancing up at the ceiling where Saren's room was. "I get first go!"

For a while, there was knocking and beating and scraping. Saren came down and Dashti grabbed her arms. "What's that knocking? What's going on? Who's here?" She asked Dashti, her eyes dull and tired. Dashti looked around wildly as the men's voices came back, muffled but intelligible.

"Lady Saren, go to the cellar." Dashti grabbed her hand and pulled the now terrified girl over, yanking the cellar door open.

"Dashti? What…" The girl's voice was shrill, and Dashti shoved the girl toward the stairs.

"Into the cellar!" She cried, pushing her down, and Lady Saren did as she was told, tears falling down her eyes. Dashti quietly closed the door, shaking. She took a deep breath and turned toward the wall where the thumping continued. She gritted her teeth and forced a laugh, silently. "Come on in." She snarled quietly. She reached over and grabbed a kitchen knife on a table by her bed. "I'll scratch you first." She bared her teeth at the wall where they were trying to get in. "I'll bite you and tear out your eyes. I'll fight like a mad rat." She shivered, an angry tear slipping down her face, gripping the knife tightly. "I will cut out your pig parts before you touch me."

A few minutes of tense silence suddenly fell, and she let out a shuddering breath. Lady Saren came out of the cellar and found her maid siting on her mattress, shaking. Saren knelt beside her, wrapping her arms around her maid, and they sobbed silently. "Can we please light a fire?" Saren asked in a tiny voice.

"No, my lady." She whispered, still shaking. "They'll see the smoke." She warned her.

Suddenly, there was a ruckus on set. "Look, I just want to see her! I know she's here!" Dashti fled the building and Kyoko's eyes widened. She stepped away from Halee, who stood quickly and looked over at the blonde man trying to break through the line of security. Director Song jumped up from her chair.

"What is going on! Who are you!"

"Sho! Sho Fuwa. I just want to see her!" Kyoko felt the blood drain from her face as her old friend fought off a security guard. Before he could yell her name, she strode forward.

"Shotaro Fuwa, what are you doing!" She cried, and he turned her, relief in his face.

"Rosa, you know him?" The director wondered. Sho looked confused, and then seemed to understand.

"Rosa and I are friends!" He assured her. "She knows me. This is very important. I have to talk to her, now!" Maya narrowed her eyes.

"Director Song, I am so sorry about this. I had no idea that he was coming. Please, let's finish filming." She gave Sho a scathing look. "He can wait."

"No." She said simply. "We're about done anyway. We'll save the scene where you break out for tomorrow. We fell behind today because it took so long to get that scene right. We can stop it there and finish later. You can go."

Kyoko grabbed Sho's arm and dragged him into her dressing room, threw him inside, and slammed the door behind her. "How dare you!" She cried. "Who do you think you are, barging in here and…" She froze when she saw his pained face. "What? What's going on?"

"I…I just had to see you." He whispered, feeling foolish.

"What? Why?"

"Because." She realized that she had unconsciously switched to Japanese and then rolled her eyes at his childish answer.

"Because why?" She snapped.

"Because…I missed you."

"What!" She cried, unbelieving. "Why would you miss…"

"I love you!" He cried, grabbing her hand. "I…for a long time now…I fell in love with you." He looked into her eyes and moved to kiss her, but was shoved backwards.

"No!" She cried, pulling away. He watched her in surprise and hurt.

"What? I said that I love you!" He cried. "You can't **still** be mad at me?"

"No…but…"

"But what? Give me a chance, Kyoko. Please. I really am sorry for everything that happened between us, but I never stopped thinking about you, and…"

"No Sho!" She snapped. "Don't. The answer is no!"

"Why!"

"Because I'm with someone." She informed him quietly, and he blanched.

"With someone?" He repeated. "As in dating someone?"

"Of course! What else would I mean?"

"Who?" He demanded. "Tell me who!"

Her eyes hardened and her lips curved down. She drew herself up and stepped away from him. "Don't you dare speak to me like that." She said coldly. "Who I am dating is none of your concern. Now excuse me. I'm going home."

"I'll tell!" He cried, making her pause and look back at him. "I'll tell everyone who you are." She smirked.

"I don't really care. The stage name was to protect myself when my mother was looking for me. It doesn't matter anymore."

"I'll…I'll…" He floundered.

"Sho, go home. You don't have any power over me anymore, and I don't want to see you again."

"But I love you!" He cried desperately, grabbing her arm. She looked back at him tiredly.

"You don't love me Sho." She told him quietly. "If you loved me, you would never have treated me the way that you did."

"But I apologized! I would never do it again!"

"Sho…" She sighed and pulled her hand away. "I can never trust you again. Because of you, I was almost never able to trust anyone again. I forgive you. You apologized honestly, so I can't hold a grudge anymore. But I don't want to be associated with you in any way."

"Kyoko! Please just give me a chance? Can we at least be friends?"

She thought for a moment. "No. Not now. Maybe in the future, when I go back to Japan. But not now."

* * *

><p>Kuu found her an hour later in her room, on her bed, her head in her hands. "Kyoko?" He asked softly, walking over and standing in front of her.. "Kyoko, what happened? Are you okay?" He knelt in front of her, touching her cheek.<p>

"He told me that he loved me." She whispered, a tear running down her face.

Immediately, his imagination ran off with him. A murderous look filled his eyes. "What!" He cried. "Who? What happened? Did someone hurt you!" She seemed to realize what he was thinking and gave a shaky smile. "Sho came to the set, and told me that he loved me. He…he asked me to give him a chance and I said no. He asked to be friends, and…and I told him no. His face…was so heartbroken. I hurt him." She whispered. "I hurt him like he hurt me."

The image of his hurt face, of his shoulders slumping and of him walking away, defeated, filled her brain. 'He wasn't even angry, like I was. He just looked so devastated, like I ruined his life.' She closed her eyes when her father pulled her to him. "It's not fair." She hiccupped. "How can he do this to me? He's hurt me enough. Why is he coming back and making me feel so horrible?"

Kuu had a good idea of why, but decided that she wasn't really interested in his answer. 'He hurt her too badly. I wonder if she can ever really get past it.'

* * *

><p>Kanae looked up when Yukihito entered her apartment. "I told you to stay away!" She snapped as best she could when her throat felt like it was throbbing. Yukihito correctly interpreted her pained expression and headed to the kitchen.<p>

"You shouldn't be yelling when you're sick." He scolded. "You'll make your throat worse." He put a bowl of soup in the microwave and poured some mild into a pot and put it over the stove. "Have you taken any medicine?" She glared at the kitchen door, not answering. He chucked. "Good. You aren't talking. Just nod if you have." She rolled her eyes and lay back down on the couch, rolling over with her back facing him. He laughed softly as he poured chocolate syrup into the milk, stirring it and turning the heat down.

When he entered the living room, she was coughing violently and shivering. He frowned and put the food down on the table, hurrying over to place a hand on her back so that she wouldn't be scrunching her stomach, which he figured was sore from the coughing. "Here, let me get you another blanket." He said quietly when she finally stopped. She only nodded, out of breath from the coughing, and he emerged with her comforter and wrapped it around her. "I'm sorry. It was all I could find."

"It's fine." She whispered as he pulled it around her. Then he gently sat her up, propping pillows behind her back, and held out a spoon of the soup, which she ate without complaint. After she finished half the bowl, she shook her head and leaned back. Since she wouldn't eat anymore, he grabbed the now cooled cup of hot chocolate and handed it to her. Shivering, she took a few sips and handed it back to him. "Thank you." She said quietly, her eyes closing.

"Did you take any medicine?" He asked, moving the pillows and laying her down.

"No. I don't have any." She mumbled. He sighed. It was a long walk to the nearest drug store, and he didn't really want to leave her. He stepped into the kitchen and pulled a glove on. He dialed speed dial number 3 and waited.

"Hello?"

"Hey Ren, I have a favor."

"Sure." The man sounded surprised. "Everything okay?"

"Yea. I just need some cold medicine, a heating pad, and some cold packs."

"Um…okay. Are you sick?"

"No Kanae is, and I'm taking care of her." There was a slight pause when Ren took a breath. "And if you start teasing me, I will call Lory right now and tell him that you made a Kyoko doll and that you keep it in your closet."

* * *

><p>Ren knocked lightly on Kanae's apartment door. The door opened and Yukihito stepped back and let him in. Ren looked around briefly, then found Kanae curled on the couch, her face flushed. She looked at him with confusion. "Good evening Kotonami-san." He said softly, handing two bags to Yukihito who took them into the kitchen.<p>

Her eyes widened in comprehension and she groaned, rolling over and pulling the blanket over her head. "Ugh. Go away, Tsuruga." He chucked softly and went back into the kitchen with Yukihito who was pulling out a thermometer.

"How is she?" Ren wondered, leaning against the counter.

"She'll be fine." A tired Yukihito answered him while pulling out the heating pad and pulling the box of cooling pads open. "Just a cold." He was about to say something else when they heard a phone chime.

"Hello." They heard Kanae's voice and frowned, walking over to the entrance. "Yea, I am." She paused. "Just a little. No! Don't…" She coughed hoarsely and sighed, pulling the phone back to her ear. "Don't start that. Just tell me what's wrong." She listened for a few moments, then her eyes widened. "What?" Her voice was soft, disbelieving. "Oh…Kyoko." Ren jumped at the name and had to stop himself from taking the phone away from her. "Are you okay?" A long pause. "I can't believe that jerk!" She cried, and Ren felt anger and concern bubbling up. "How could he do that to you! After all that's happened…" She broke off, anger brightening her tired eyes. "Are you okay? Did he do anything to you?" Ren took a hesitant step forward but didn't say anything. "Okay. It's okay. You did the right thing." She took a sip of water. "No, I don't think you should. Not now. You're still hurting and you just have too much going on. Yes. Uhhuh. Don't worry, I won't." She glanced at the anxious man slowly making his way over. "You too. Bye." She hung up and lay back down.

Seeing that Ren was too polite to run over and demand answers, Yukihito walked past him and placed a cold pack on her head and took her phone, quickly placing it on the table. "Who was that?" He asked casually, as though he hadn't heard the girl's name.

"Oh you know who it was." She gave him an amused grin. "Kyoko's just having some…" She thought about the worst possible way to phrase it. "trouble with a man bothering her and she doesn't know how she feels about it." Ren's eyes widened and she caught several emotions hidden in them. She rolled over again with her back to them and smirked when she heard her front door slam.

* * *

><p>Kyoko opened her eyes blearily and looked at her clock. It was 2 in the morning. Trying to figure out what had woken her, she looked around. 'There it is again…music…phone? Oh!' She reached over and looked at the Caller ID. She flipped it open quickly. "Kuon? What's wrong!" She cried, panic filling her heart.<p>

"What happened?" He demanded, and she flinched, instantly reminded of Sho's tone the day before.

"What do you mean?" She asked quietly.

"What is this about some man bothering you?" Her eyes widened.

"How did you know about that?" She asked quietly, trying to stay awake now that she knew hew wasn't in any danger.

"I was with Yukihito and Kotonami-san when you called her. What happened?"

"Kuon…" She took a deep breath. "Are you aware that it is currently 2 in the morning."

"Kyoko, tell me what happened." He demanded.

She exploded. "Don't talk to me like that!" She yelled and heard him take a sharp breath. "Don't talk to me like I'm your slave to order around! I've had enough of that in my life and I don't need it from you!" She felt a hot tear run down her face and realized that she would never get back to sleep now. "Sho found out where I worked and…" She took a shuddering breath, trying not to sob so that Ren wouldn't know that she was crying. "…he told me that he loved me…and that he wanted me to give him a chance. And I said no." She sobbed once, feeling the hurt from Kuon's anger in her heart. "That's how he talks to me." She whispered.

In Japan, Kuon felt his heart break.

"He ta…talks to me l…li…like I'm nobody...like you just..." She broke off and sobbed.

"I'm sorry." His whispered, but she kept crying.

"If…if you lo…loved me, you wouldn't talk to me like that." She sobbed again, and felt her heart break.

"Kyoko! I do love you!" He cried. "Please, I'm sorry. Don't be angry. I love you. I was worried. I…"

"Just leave me alone." She whispered and he froze. He heard a click and the dial tone in his ear.

"Oh no." He whispered, closing his eyes. "Oh God…please no…." He hit redial.

Kyoko hit the little red button on her phone and held it until the tone sounded and the screen went dark.

**A/N: Aww. Sad ending. Well, it's not the end of the story...I wouldn't do that. lol. There had to be trouble at some point. I'll update...eventually. Tell me what you think :)**


	30. Apologies

**A/N: First, I loved all the responses I got to the last chapter. I'm glad that people are enjoying the story so much! However, if you do not enjoy the story, please don't feel the need to leave short, mean reviews. It is completely unneccessary, discouraging, and pointless. If you want to comment on what you don't like about the story, or something that you think could be changed, I would love to hear about it and talk to you about it. But otherwise, you are just being rude, and it is rather hurtful when I put so much thought and effort into a story.**

**Anyway, I really was happy to write this chapter. (ONE MORE FINAL!...hehe sorry. I should stop complaining about my personal life...but I hate finals so much. I have no intention of studying for it...math is icky) I hope you like the chapter. Let me know what you think :D**

Chapter 30: Apologizing

It was blatantly obvious that Kyoko had been crying for a while, but neither Kuu nor Julie wanted to be the first to mention her red eyes or pale face. The glanced at each other nervously when she walked into the kitchen the next day at six a.m. as she walked listlessly over to the coffee maker, pulled out the coffee, and begin making it. Julie was finally brave enough to break the silence. "Good morning sweetie." she said as Kyoko poured herself a cup of coffee.

"Good morning Mother." Kyoko answered dully without looking back at them, her voice tired.

"Um…are you okay, Kyoko?" Kuu asked, sitting his own cup on the table and standing.

"I'm fine." Kyoko took a long drink of the steaming coffee and kept her red eyes on the floor. Julie sighed.

"Okay. What time are you filming today?"

"Not until 5." She mumbled.

"Alright." She took the cup out of Kyoko's hand and kissed her temple. "Go get dressed." She clapped her hands cheerfully but Kyoko only stared at her empty hands. "Come on sweetie." She took the girl's hand and pulled her up, then threw an arm around her shoulder, herding her up the stairs. Over Kyoko's head, she gave Kuu an angry look. "Call your son!" She mouthed to him, and he sighed and nodded, pulling out his cell.

Julie shut the door behind them and pulled Kyoko into the bathroom. She sat the girl on the bathtub ledge and took a washcloth, running cold water on it. "Your eyes are so red." Julie said sadly, pressing the cloth against her face and stroking it gently, then held it over her eyes. "Keep that on your eyes. It will take the swelling down." Kyoko nodded and held it while Julie pulled out her makeup. "Oh gosh honey. You need some new make up. Is this a fairy wand?"

"Moko-san got it for me!" She cried, though her voice lacked its usual cheery quality when she talked about her beloved friend.

Julie laughed softly. "Okay, okay. But we'll go shopping for some new stuff today, okay?" She waited for the girl to hold the washcloth for a while longer, then took it away, handing it a dry one. When Kyoko's face was dry, Julie began applying makeup. "You are so pretty." She said softly, gently running the brush over her eyelid. "Your eyes are very expressive, and your skin is flawless. The brown hair looks good, but I think the red is adorable. The black is good too. I saw it in Dark Moon. Minus the scar, you looked great." Kyoko gave a half smile.

Julie stepped back when she finished and smiled. "Beautiful. Here's the lipstick. Go ahead and get changed. I'm going to get ready." Kyoko nodded listlessly and began searching for something to wear after adding the color to her lips.

* * *

><p>When an exhausted Ren picked Yukihito up for work in the morning, the man didn't give him time to say 'good morning.' "For heaven's sake Ren! What did you do!" He cried as soon as he closed the passenger side door.<p>

Ren sighed. He had been trying to call Kyoko since she had hung up on him, with no luck. He assumed that she had called Kanae at some point and that Yukihito had heard everything. "I messed up, Yukihito."

"Obviously."

"What am I supposed to do now?" The man cried. "She won't answer any of my calls."

"First of all, why did you yell at her?"

"I was worried!" He sighed. "I was worried and upset and jealous and…really stupid." Yukihito was nodding and Ren rolled his eyes. "Thank you, Yukihito."

"I suggest you do what she told you to."

"What! Just leave her alone?"

"Yes. It's what she wants."

"She's my girlfriend!"

"Ren…you knew how much Fuwa hurt her, and you saw how he treated her. This is what you get for doing the same thing." Ren closed his eyes briefly, and then concentrated on the road. "Oh…and stay away from Kanae." Ren raised an eyebrow. "She said that she was going to kill you the next time she saw you."

"Duly noted." Ren grinned wryly. "How is she?"

"Well, she was trying to hunt you down when she got off the phone with Kyoko, so I guess she's doing better."

* * *

><p>In between shoots, Ren reclined in his dressing room, distractedly flipping through his script. The thought of lunch briefly appeared in his mind, but the thought of food quickly led to the thought of Kyoko, and he didn't want to think about that. As he was trying to memorize his lines, he heard a chime in his pocket. He jumped and pulled the phone out, hurriedly checking the name and number on the screen. Sighing, he flipped it open. "Hey Dad." He said quietly.<p>

"What did you do?" His father's voice was bordering on angry, but not quite there yet.

"Is she okay?" He asked worriedly, avoiding the question. 'If she isn't even hiding the fact that she's upset, then it must be worse than I thought.'

"No. What did you do?"

"I didn't mean to, Dad!" Ren cried, not really wanting to talk about it. His father was silent, so he sighed and decided to just tell him. "I yelled at her. I found out that Fuwa visited her on set and had talked to her, so I got angry and called her."

"You are an idiot." His father said simply, and Ren sighed.

"Yea, I know."

"Okay, so what are you going to do?" He demanded.

"I don't know!"

"Well…you've certainly messed things up." His father said contemplatively.

"Dad!"

Kuu softened. "Okay, she's going out with Julie today, and then she has work. Maybe she'll be better tonight. I'll call you later and let you know."

* * *

><p>Julie sat in the driver's seat, glancing over at Kyoko occasionally. When they reached the nicest shop she knew of, they climbed out of the car with no protests from Kyoko. More worried now than ever, she pulled the girl across the street to a coffee shop instead.<p>

They walked into the shop and Julie led them to a table in the back, leaving Kyoko at the table as she ordered two coffees, which she returned with after a few minutes. "Alright sweetie. Why don't you tell me what happened?" Kyoko stared into her coffee cup. She reached out and put her hand over her daughter's. "Please, Kyoko?"

Kyoko sighed, unable to resist the pleading tone in her mother's voice. "It's nothing. Kuon and I just had a fight."

Her brow furrowed. "What happened?"

"He called me this morning, and was yelling at me because he heard Kanae talking to me on the phone last night about Sho coming to the set." Julie blinked in surprise.

"Wait…Sho?"

Kyoko took a deep breath. "He came onto the set yesterday and told me that he loved me." Julie's eyes widened.

"Wow…okay we'll deal with that later. What did Kuon say?"

"He was angry that I hadn't called him and told him, and he was yelling at me and it was 2 in the morning and…" She stopped when she saw the anger in her mother's eyes. 'She…she's mad at me. She thinks it's my fault!'

"I think I'm going to have a talk with him." Julie said coldly.

"Huh?" Kyoko cocked her head.

"I believe Kuon needs a lesson on how to speak to women." She smiled a large fake smile and Kyoko gulped.

"You…you aren't mad at me?" She had to ask.

"Mad at you? Why? He obviously shouldn't have been so mean to you."

"I thought…that you would blame me." She said quietly. "Because he's your son and…"

"And you're my daughter." Julie said firmly. "Now let's go shopping. Then you can tell me about Sho."

* * *

><p>Ren's talk with his mother was not going quite as well as his conversation earlier with his father. Or so Yashiro assumed when he saw his charge wincing at the loud noise coming from the phone. He held the phone a little way from his ear and Yukihito smirked. When he finally hung up, he gave Ren a half sympathetic smile. "She's mad?"<p>

"Yea."

"How's Kyoko?"

"Still upset."

"Did you try calling her?"

"Yea."

"Any luck?"

"No." He shrugged. "I don't know what to do. I can't ask her to forgive me if she won't answer any of my calls."

"True. It's not like you can just drop everything and fly back to America to apologize." Yukihito laughed to himself, and then looked up at Ren. "Oh no. NO! Ren, don't you dare." Ren was giving him a pleading look. "Ren! I can't do this! I can't reschedule everything just so you can apologize to your girlfriend." Little ears popped out of the man's head and Yukihito couldn't help comparing him to a little lost puppy that had just been kicked. "Ren. Be reasonable. You can't. You have work all week! You don't have time. If you want the weekends, you have to work more during the week." Yukihito stared firmly at the little puppy now sitting across from him. "Ren!" The puppy whimpered and Yukihito threw up his hands. "1 day!" He cried, holding up a finger, and the puppy brightened. "1 day Ren! I mean it. No more. Go. Now. Get this train wreck over while I clean up the mess."

* * *

><p>Despite his manager's warnings, Sho was determined to stay in America until he could talk to Kyoko again. His next chance was Wednesday afternoon, when Kyoko was filming. This time, he waited on the sidelines as she acted, enjoying the show, until he felt a presence beside him. He looked over and found himself face to face with a tall, blonde man with bright green eyes that were staring down at him. "Uh…hi." He said hesitantly, wondering at the intensity of the foreigner's gaze.<p>

When the jetlagged Kuon saw Sho standing on the side of the set, watching his girlfriend act with an openly admiring look on his face, he had wanted to drag the jerk out and have a talk with him in an alley somewhere close by. Then he saw her, the girl who had refused to speak to him since the morning when he had snapped at her. She was smiling at the other actress, saying something that he couldn't quite make out, cradling a cat to her chest. He sighed. 'If I want to be with her, then I have to stop getting so jealous of her. She has a right to have friends.' He took a deep breath and walked over to Sho, who greeted him hesitantly in English.

"Hello. I'm Kuon." He held out his hand, and Sho shook it.

"Sho. Are you…one of the actors?" He asked, trying to make conversation.

Kuon smiled. "Heh. No. I'm here to see my girlfriend."

"Oh. Which girl?" He asked with a half smile.

Kuon gestured to Kyoko, who was now writing on a book while sitting on her bed on the floor, the cat perched on her shoulder. "Rosa. She's playing the lead." He watched Sho blanch and prayed that the boy didn't try and hit him or start a loud argument.

"Oh. Uh…okay. You…you're her boyfriend?" Kuon nodded. "I…I'm an old friend of hers." He said with a nervous smile.

Kuon feigned realization. "Ahh. Sho Fuwa? She's told me a bit about you." He told the now very pale musician who seemed to be comparing their heights. "It's nice to meet you, but from what I hear, the two of you didn't part ways under the…best of terms."

"No…uh…I guess she's told you. I tried to apologize but…I don't know if I can make it right."

Kuon looked at the man sheepishly scratching his head and looking at the ground and wondered where the arrogant jerk had run off to. 'He really does seem to want to make things right with her…' "I hope you can." He told the other man honestly, thinking about the pain that always hid behind the anger in her eyes when she would talk about Sho. "I think it would mean a lot to her if she could move on and get her friend back." He heard someone clear their throat and both men turned before Sho could respond. Kyoko looked surprised and only a little irritated. He hid a smile as the cat, who was still perched on her shoulder, stuck his nose in her ear and she absentmindedly brought a hand up to stroke him.

"Kuon. Shotaro. Can I help you?" She asked coldly, and Kuon realized that he was speaking to Rosa.

"Hello Rosa. I was wondering if I could talk to you in private." He said with a soft smile. "But he was here first. I think he wants to talk to you as well." She looked first at Kuon in surprise, then over at Sho who was looking between them.

"Uh…no. Sorry. Just wanted to say hey. You did really well with that…uh…that last scene." She raised an eyebrow. "I can't wait to see the movie. I'll let you two talk." He seemed to be putting a lot of effort into that sentence, and then turned and slunk away.

She turned her chilly green eyes on Kuon. "Yes?"

"Can we maybe talk in private?" He asked softly. Her eyes thawed a little.

"Sure." She turned on her heels and he followed her and the cat into her dressing room. She closed the door behind them and faced it for a few minutes.

'I…don't know what to do! He just showed up here….am I supposed to be Kyoko? Should I just be Rosa? What does he want? To apologize? To break up with me? Is that what I want? NO! I don't!' She took a deep breath. 'I don't know anything yet…I'm going to see what he wants first. Then I'll decide.'

She turned and jumped. He was kneeling on the ground, his forehead against the ground. "Kyoko, I am so sorry." He said quietly. "There is no excuse for how I treated you, and I hope that you can forgive me, although I understand if you don't." She stared at him in silent surprise. "I was jealous and upset and angry, but that was no excuse for snapping at you. I promise that I will be more careful when I speak to you from now on. You were absolutely right. I had no right to speak to you that way. I never meant to hurt you." He peeked up at her. "I love you so much. I would never purposely hurt you." Her mouth hung open as he prostrated himself in front of her.

Kneeling down, she looked down at him. 'I can't stay angry at him.' She realized. 'I love him so much…and he's obviously sorry. I knew that he had a temper. We aren't so different.' She reached down and touched his hair softly. He sat up and knelt in front of her, now looking down at her. "I forgive you." She said softly.

He looked suspicious, but happy. "You…you do?"

"Well, I don't believe in staying mad at someone when they apologize honestly." He grinned widely and pulled her close. She leaned her head against his chest and took a deep breath. A tear fell from her eye and he cupped her cheek, wiping it away. "I'm sorry." She whispered.

He pulled away. "For what?" He cried.

"I…I should have called you and…"

"No." He interrupted firmly. "Kyoko, this was my fault. I overreacted and took my anger out on you. I..." He took a deep breath and gave her a wry smile. "I **really** hate Sho Fuwa. Really. A lot." She snorted. "But he was your friend, and has been for a long time. I think he regrets what he did to you. I'm not saying that you need to kiss and make up." She smirked. "But…maybe you should think about talking to him."

"Wait…you don't care if I'm friends with him?"

"Kyoko, it is none of my business who you are friends with. I don't want you to be afraid to associate with someone because you think I'll be angry. Just…if anyone ever hurts you, I want you to tell me. Okay?" He asked her sincerely.

She smiled and nodded, blushing a little. "Okay. But the same for you." She insisted and he laughed at the thought, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close.

"Alright." She breathed his scent in for a few seconds, letting it make her drowsy, then jerked away. His eyes widened and he stared at her in confusion.

"What are you doing here!" She cried.

His brow furrowed. "I came to apologize…are you okay?"

"What about work!" She yelled at him, and he laughed.

"Oh. I took the day off." He told her casually, and watched in amusement as she turned pale, and then red.

"REN!" She screamed at him. "You are a professional! You can't just **take ****off****…**" She said the words as if they were cursed. "…for something unimportant like…"

He captured her flailing hand and kissed it, effectively shutting her up. "I am a professional, and I would never take off work for something unimportant." He said quietly. "I told you, I took off to talk to you." She blushed brightly. "I felt that I needed to ask your forgiveness. Your happiness is very important to me." He told her softly. "You are far more important than my career." Her eyes widened and she stared at him, frozen in place. "You okay?" He squeezed her hand and she jumped, discreetly wiping her eye.

"Sorry. Yes. I'm fine. It's just…no one has ever thought that I was important." She whispered. He was afraid she would be sad or start crying because of her past, but instead she smiled brightly at him, making his heart stop. "I'm very happy to hear someone say that to me." The happy smile disappeared and the scolding frown returned. "But you need to go back to work!"

* * *

><p>Dashti and Lady Saren walked through the wasteland. The wind blew sharply and Saren began shaking. Dashti looked around nervously, a wild look in her eyes. They came to a burned house and stopped. Lady Saren lifted a finger. "That was our kitchen." She whispered. "The food cellars were here and there." Dashti fell to her knees and began digging desperately. Lady Saren kept walking. "Here was our dining table." A tear fell from her eye. "And over there was the grand ballroom. Oh Dashti! Maybe it never really existed. Maybe this is all it ever was!"<p>

Dashti took a deep breath. "No, my lady. It was real." She flinched and pulled back from the rubble pile, then kept digging.

"I can't remember." Her eyes looked lost. "I can't remember Dashti! Are you sure?"

Dashti rolled her eyes. "Sometimes, my lady, you ask me questions that I can answer with any degree of patience." She muttered under her breath. Finally she pulled a knife out and stuck in a pocket of her dress. There was a cry and both girls jumped. Turning quickly, they gasped at the sight of a yak standing a few yards away. The animal stared at them nervously, but Dashti called out to it. "He laughs, he laughs, he moans and laughs." She sang the song for the yak, and the animal trotted over happily, sticking his muzzle into her palm. She smiled softly, stroking his broad head and side. "Hello." She said softly, and he butted her gently. "You are made of friendly stuff, aren't you? You are the handsomest yak I ever saw." He nodded his head and she giggled, stroking him again. She grabbed their possessions and strapped them onto his back as Lady Saren watched in wonder. "I think I'll call you Mucker." He nodded again and she laughed. "You and I will get along fine."

"Cut! Much better Halee. Perfect Rosa. Take ten!" Kyoko stroked the yak one last time and stepped over to the side of the set where Kuon stood with a wide smile.

"Wow. You are really good with animals." He said in wonder. She laughed.

"He's just friendly." Kuon laughed suddenly and she cocked an eyebrow. Following his eyes, she turned and jumped when she found herself face to face with the yak. Kuon stepped forward and touched the large animal's head. The yak nodded vigorously, nudging Kuon's side. "Have you ever acted with animals before?" She wondered as she stroked the animal's warm fur. The trainer came over and apologized, leading the animal away.

"Um…once or twice. Mostly cats or dogs. I've never acted with anything like a yak."

Kyoko smiled. "Do you like animals?"

"I like dogs." He shrugged. "That's the first yak I've met, and the cat didn't like me." She giggled. Earlier she had brought the tabby playing 'My Lord' over to meet Kuon, since the man insisted on staying at least until she was finished filming, and the cat had wanted nothing to do with him.

"I love animals." She said cheerfully. "I always wished that I could have a pet, but…well I just never could." Her eyes dimmed a little and he frowned.

"Hey. Maybe you could now. I know Mom likes animals, and they would let you have whatever you wanted."

"Kuon! I'm a guest in their house. I can't…"

"You aren't a guest, Kyoko." He interrupted gently. "You are family. That is your home."

"Well, regardless, I couldn't take a pet back to Japan with me." He shrugged, making a mental note to get her a pet for a homecoming present in a few months.

'I'm sure she could keep it where she is living…if not it could live with me. Along with her….' His imagination took off with him, and he grinned.

"Um…Kuon?" He came back to reality to find Kyoko staring at him in confusion. "Why are you smiling like that?"

He smirked. "No reason." 'Just mentally moving you in with me.'

"Rosa! Halee! We need everyone on set!" Kuon reached down and kissed her cheek, and a very red Kyoko ran over to the set. "Okay, action!"

Dashti and Lady Saren stood outside of a grand house. They had finally reached the home of Khan Tegus. A man stood at the gate, staring at them in suspicion. The yak nudged Dashti in the back, and she tightened her hold on his rope. "What is your business?"

Dashti leaned close to Saren and whispered in her ear. "Tell them who you are." She told her.

"No." Lady Saren said firmly.

"Please my lady! Tell them you are Lady Saren, betrothed to Khan Tegus. Tell them so you can be fit up like gentry and live as you should."

"No! And I forbid you to tell anyone who I am!" She was looking around nervously. "Lord Khasar would find me, or Khan Tegus would…"

"He won't hurt you, my lady! He'll protect you."  
>Saren turned to Dashti with tears in her eyes and a trembling chin. "What if he's not safe, as I once thought? No one it, but you." She clenched Dashti's arms.<p>

"I can't look after you forever. I don't have money…or work! And I don't have status or clan. We're barely surviving, my lady!" Dashti looked desperately at her unreasonable mistress. "And come winter, we'll freeze and die without a gher. You are an honored lady! You need more than a mucker maid can give you. **Please.** Tell them who you are."

Lady Saren took a deep breath and turned to the man. "I am a mucker."

Dashti's mouth hung open. She took a step away from Lady Saren and the man, then turned her face into the animal's side and sobbed. "I'm so tired!" She whispered to the animal. "I'm so tired of walking, and feeling hungry, and of keeping my lady. Forgive me, Mama! I'm so tired of being Dashti, of breathing…of being alive!" She clutched the animal's fur, then froze when she heard a loud voice.

"What's going on here?" A white haired woman approached the man. "Who are these girls blocking the way?" Dashti looked over at Mucker.

"I promised you that you'd have a stable and a brush down at the end of this journey." She whispered in his ear, then stepped up. "I bring a gift for Khan Tegus." She announced. "This is the best yak I've ever known. His name is Mucker."

"We don't buy animals from…"

"No. Not buy. I want the khan to have him. It's an honest gift from a mucker girl." She turned and kissed the yak on the nose. "Khan Tegus is the kind of person who deserves the best yak in all the realms." She told him, then sung the song to ease parting. "Roads go straight and roads go on, my heart moves like the sun." She stepped back and handed the animal's rope to a boy who led him away. The woman stared at the two girls.

"Do you girl's know kitchen work?" Automatically, Dashti held out her hands, which the woman took and felt. "She's a good girl." She said to the man, who was watching all this in confusion. "She has the mark of bad luck…even so, I'll bet my shoes she's a good girl."  
>"What about the other one?" He asked.<p>

"She's my clan sister." Dashti said quickly. "We've survived in harsher living than most girls can imagine. Why, she's worth two of any city girl you can find."

"Cut! That's a wrap. Good job everyone."

Kyoko changed quickly and rejoined Kuon, who was on the phone. He was wincing and listening silently as someone spoke to him. When he hung up, she looked at him questioningly. He took her hand. "Yukihito was…a bit angry that I took off today." She narrowed her eyes. "But I'm going to make up for it tomorrow, I swear!" She couldn't hold back the smile.

"Okay. Well then, would you like to come to dinner with me? I'm sure you haven't eaten all day. I heard your stomach growling from the set."

He blushed a little, and she laughed. "I'd love to join you." He said with a smile, and led her out of the building and to the car.

**A/N: YAY! Friends again. I hate it when Kuon and Kyoko fight. I hope you liked it. :D**


	31. Talking It Out

Chapter 31: Talking it out

(or, I can't believe this story is still going…)

Sho was giving up. He had gone to see her twice, and twice nothing had come of it. Not only that, she had a boyfriend! An **American **boyfriend apparently, and Sho wasn't so sure that he could take the guy. However, the man had seemed…almost friendly? Maybe a little upset with Sho, which, Sho had to admit, was reasonable enough, considering the man's apparent knowledge of Kyoko and Sho's past. But the guy had said that he hoped they could make up. 'Does that mean I should try again.' He sighed, looking at his cellphone. He had three missed calls from him manager, and he was sure she was furious, but as he was sitting in his hotel room, he couldn't help but picture her face. 'She was my best friend…and I don't want to lose her again. She said that she's forgiven me. If I can just get her to talk to me, if I can convince her that I really do care about her…then what? ' He took a deep breath and clutched his phone. 'Should I call her?' He was about to flip the phone open when it vibrated against his palm.

Curious, he looked down at the screen saw Kyoko's name, along with a picture of her that he had taken when she wasn't looking. He grimaced. 'She'd kill me if she knew I snuck a picture of her.' He flipped the phone open and took a deep breath. "Hello?" He spoke in Japanese, hoping she didn't insist on English as she had when she was Rosa.

"Good evening, Sho." Her voice was soft, a little hard, but not angry.

"Uh…hey Kyoko." He cleared his throat nervously.

"You wanted to talk to me?" Her voice was a little cold, but she was talking to him civilly, so it was an improvement.

"Yea! Um…I just…I wanted to…"

"Sho, do you want to hang out tonight?" She asked softly, and he breathed out in relief.

"Yea. I'd love to. But…uh…does your…your boyfriend care?"

"Kuon had to go home an hour ago. He told me that I should talk to you, so it will be fine."

* * *

><p>To be honest, Kyoko had been shocked in the change that had come over Kuon. When the two had returned to their house, he had sat her down in her bedroom and kissed her, holding her close and stroking her back. "I'm sorry." He whispered against her lips.<p>

"Kuon, you already apologized." She whispered back, looking at him with concern. "And I forgive you. You don't…"

"No." He touched her cheek. "I'm sorry for how I've acted about Sho." She cocked an eyebrow. "This has been something that really hurt you, and I should have been helping you move through it rather than being jealous of him. I'm sorry."

She nodded a little, looking down. He sighed and hugged her. "Kyoko, he was a jerk. You know that. But now he's asking for another chance." She smiled a little in understanding. "I know you don't think he deserves it, but I think you should give him a chance." She looked into his eyes and saw the sincerity in them. "And this time, if he does anything to hurt you, I'll be there to take care of it." He smiled brightly and she laughed.

"Okay. I'll call him tonight."

"Good." He kissed her again. "I'll see you next weekend. I love you."

* * *

><p>Kuon hadn't been the only person Kyoko had been surprised by. Sho has stunned her as well. Gone, it seemed, was the arrogant jerk that had disregarded her so completely, and now he seemed more mature. Although she was hesitant to agree to speak to him, Kuon seemed okay with it, and she knew that he would protect her. As Kuon's car had pulled away, she had sat on her bed, pulling out her phone. 'I do miss him. We were close as children, despite how he sometimes treated me. We were children…I can't exactly blame him for that.' She lay back on the bed and sighed. 'It won't hurt to call him.'<p>

Kyoko gave Sho the address and changed into a casual outfit, hurrying down to the living room to wait. Kuu and Julie, who were snuggling on the sofa, looked up at her. "Where are you going?" Kuu asked with a half smile. Julie looked up curiously.

"I'm going out with Sho." She said with a sweet smile and her parents' eyebrows shot up.

"Sho?" Her father's voice was a bit upset. "Sho Fuwa? The boy who hurt you so badly, then kept showing up to bother you, then came here and told you he loved you?"

Kyoko blushed a little. "Um, yea. He…he wants to talk to me."

Julie touched her husband's arm before he could speak. "Sweetie…are you sure? I mean…you've had a lot of trouble with this boy. Do you really want to spend time alone with him?" Kyoko smiled.

"Kuon actually gave me the idea. I'll be fine. I trust Sho." Kuu sighed harshly.

"I want to meet him." He told her firmly. Kyoko nodded.

"Of course. He'll be here in a few minutes."

When Kyoko heard the car pull up, she stood quickly and went to meet him at the door, but Kuu put a hand on her shoulder and sat her down gently. Julie laughed a little as her husband opened the door for Sho. Kyoko watched as Sho looked up in surprise at her father. "Hello. Kuu Hizuri." Kuu held out a hand and shook Sho's hand, looking down at the boy who glanced nervously at Kyoko. "I'm Kyoko's father."

"Uh…nice to meet you. I'm Sho. Is…uh well she's here. Can I…" He cursed himself for stuttering as he stared up at the formidable man.

Kyoko jumped up and hurried over to where her father stood, standing next to him, and Kuu placed an arm around her, his sharp eyes still on Sho. "Hey Sho. Come on in." She took a step back but noticed, with mild amusement, that Kuu was still blocking the door. "Father!" She tugged his arm and he looked down at her, his eyes softening.

He sighed, turning and walked back over to the sofa, obviously sulking. Julie stood and took Sho's hand. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Julie Hizuri."

Sho looked from Kyoko to her surrogate mother and smiled. "Nice to meet you too. I'm Sho Fuwa."

"So where are you taking my daughter?" Kuu wanted to know.

"I'm not really sure. I just wanted to talk to her…um…"

"Father, we'd better go. I don't want to be out too late." He gave Sho a firm look, and then turned to his daughter.

"Kyoko, would you mind if I talk to Sho for a minute?" He was smiling at her, so she nodded.

"Okay. I'll just go…"

"No." Kuu stood and Sho looked over at the man. "We'll head into the other room. You two relax." Julie smiled a little as Kuu led Sho into the other room. She laughed at Kyoko's worried expression.

"I think he's always wanted to do that." She said with a laugh. "Don't worry sweetie. Your friend will be fine."

* * *

><p>Kuu closed the door behind him and turned to Sho who was, much to his satisfaction, looking around nervously. "I've heard a lot about you, Shotaro Fuwa." He said coldly, and the musician winced.<p>

"Look, I'm really sorry for everything that happened and the way I treated her. I've apologized and I just want a chance to be friends again." He would have gone on, but Kuu lifted a hand.

"I understand. But that's not what I wanted to talk about." Kuu sat down in a chair and motioned for Sho to do the same. He did so, waiting for the older man to speak. "When she first arrived here, she went out with a boy from her work. He took her to a club, and he didn't stay with her. Someone drugged her, and she was completely alone." He took note of Sho's stunned face. "Luckily, she was on the phone, and I was able to get to her."

'The look on his face…he was terrified. He cares about her so much. I'm glad that she finally has a family that loves her. But I would never let anything like that happen to her.'

"If you are going to take my daughter out, I want you with her every second." His voice was serious and Sho nodded. "I don't want you to let her out of your sight. If something happens to her, I am holding you personally responsible." Sho nodded again.

"Of course. I'll take care of her."

"Good. Because if you don't, I'm not holding my son back." Kuu grinned.

"Your….your son?"

"Kuon."

'Hizuri…Kuon Hizuri! Kuu Hizuri! Wait….' "Um…Kyoko, your daughter…is dating your son?"

"Yes." Kuu smiled brightly.

"Right…"

* * *

><p>Sho came out behind Kuu and Kyoko stood to join him. "You ready?" He asked. She nodded.<p>

"Bye mother." She let her mother pull her close and kiss her forehead.

"Bye sweetie. Be careful."

"Bye father." Kuu pulled the girl over and kissed her forehead as well.

"Bye Kyoko. Don't stay out too late." The two teens left the house and headed for the taxi sitting in the driveway.

When they reached the car, Sho opened the back door on the right and stood beside it. "Really Sho?" She asked, obviously amused. Sho sighed, his face turning red.

"I'm trying to be nice." He mumbled.

She laughed loudly, then sat down in the car. "Why thank you sir." She told him in a loud voice, tucking her legs in to the car in front of her, and he groaned and slammed the door, making sure she was in first.

He sat in the other seat in the back. The cab driver, who had been paid a nice sum to wait, looked back in the mirror. "Where to?" He asked.

Sho looked over at Kyoko, who shrugged. "Um…are you hungry?" Kyoko looked at her watch. It was six o'clock. She had eaten with Kuon earlier, but she was getting a little hungry.

"Um…yes. We can eat somewhere."

"Cool. Um…"

Kyoko smiled and named a restaurant that she and Julie had been to a week or so ago. It was a quiet place with good service and reasonable food. Sho sighed.

"I hate English." He mumbled, and she laughed.

"Your English isn't that bad." She reassured him and he rolled his eyes.

"Not nearly as good as yours." She smiled. "So how have you been?" He turned in his seat to face her.

"I'm good. I really like America, and Mother and Father are really good to me. I love 'A Thousand Days' too. The Director is really nice and the filming is going great. My costars are mostly nice, and…" She broke off with a soft blush and Sho fought to keep his hands to himself.

'She has a boyfriend! A rather large one…'

"Sorry. I talk too much." She smiled. "What about you? What have you been up to?"

"Pretty good. I think Shoko is mad at me for staying, but I have plenty of time to get the rest of my work done. I've been to LME a few times to talk to your President…have you met the camel?"

"Jethro?"

"Yea." She laughed and he went on. "Anyway, I've been pretty busy." They sat in silence until they reached the restaurant, where Sho jumped out and opened Kyoko's door for her. She smiled gratefully and they walked inside after paying the driver.

When they reached their seats, both pretended to be engrossed in their menus. 'This is so strange.' Kyoko thought as she studied him over the pieces of paper. 'I don't think I've ever just hung out with him…not since we were little.'

"What do you want?" He asked, trying to make conversation when he caught her staring at him.

"Um…I'm not sure. What about you."

"I think I'll just get a burger." She nodded.

"So…are you staying in a hotel nearby?"

"Yea. It's pretty close. It's a nice place."

"Hmm." They stared at each other, then at the menus, then at each other again.

"Well this is awkward." He finally said, and Kyoko laughed a little.

"Sorry." She told him softly. "This is…sort of hard."

Sho sighed. "No, I'm sorry. If I hadn't…well you know." He trailed off, looking away. "So…can I ask you something?"

"Um…sure."

"About this…Kuon guy…"

"Yes?"

"I just…how did…what about Tsuruga?" Her eyes widened. "I just always thought you were going to get with Tsuruga, you know? It seems like…he was really into you. And you come here…"

Kyoko was desperately trying not to laugh. "Sho…what exactly are you asking?" He looked at her amused face incredulously.

"What do you know about this guy? Why did you agree to go out with him?"

She laughed tis time. "Um…I actually met him when I was little." She ignored the confusion on his face. "And then met him again recently."

"How did you meet him when you were little?"

"He came with his father to Kyoto and I met him in the woods behind the inn." He nodded slowly. "Then when I came to America, he came to visit me when his father told him about me."

"What does Tsuruga think about it?"

She smiled. "I don't know. I haven't talked to Tsuruga-san in a while."

"Really? Hmm." They were silent for a while.

"So how's Mimori-san?"

"She's fine." He shrugged. "I think she's going to France for some kind of modeling thing."

"Oh. Has she been modeling?"

"Yea. Some." They nodded, and Kyoko sighed at the tense atmosphere.

After ordering their food, Kyoko finally decided to speak up. "Sho…did you want to talk to me about something…specific?"

"Um… well, I just wanted you to agree to talk to me again." He said nervously. "Sorry for interrupting your shoot...you were really good today."

She smiled. "Thank you. I really have enjoyed acting here in America, but I'll be glad to go home at the end of the movie."

"Really? What about your parents?" He immediately regretted the question when her eyes dimmed.

""I'm going to miss them." She whispered softly. "It has been so amazing to have a family…" She looked up in surprise when he placed his hand on hers.

"I know." He told her gently, then seemed to realize what he was doing. Her jerked his hand back and cleared his throat. "What, uh, what about Kyouta?"

"I don't know." She admitted. "I don't really know how I feel about all this." She sighed. "I know I have to go see him, and Kuon thinks I should do it sooner rather than later I think, but I just…I don't know." She trailed off lamely.

"Look, I know it is none of my business, but if you don't think you're ready to meet him, then don't push yourself. But what about him?" She looked up thoughtfully. "I'm not saying that you have to do it, but think about it. He just found off that he has another daughter, and he got custody of you. Don't you think he will want to meet you? What do you suppose he's going to think when his daughter won't speak to him?"

She looked down guiltily, wringing her hands. He touched her hand again. "Hey, don't feel bad. I'm not saying that you should do it now. Just think about it, okay?" She smiled and nodded, her eyes still thoughtful as she stared at the table.

"Okay. Thanks."

They left the restaurant after splitting a dessert, something that took Sho twenty minutes of begging and two of eating the food in front of her to convince her to do. Instead of calling a cab, they walked across the street to one of the large parks in the area and headed for the beach, talking quietly. As they had eaten, they had managed to talk normally and were currently catching up. As thy neared the water, she turned to Sho. "Thank you." She said suddenly. "I'm sorry for giving you a hard time before, even though I still don't think you deserved it." He smirked. "But thank you for taking me out tonight." He nodded.

'She looks so beautiful right now…' Without thinking, he put an arm around her and leaned over, closing his eyes. Suddenly, he felt a gentle hand on his face.

"Sho." Her voice was scolding, and his eyes popped open.

"Oh crap." He placed a hand over his mouth and backed away. "I'm sorry." He mumbled. "I wasn't thinking and…"

"It's fine." She told him simply. "Let's just go."

He followed her as they walked back to her house, which was close to the beach where they had been walking. When they reached her door, he grabbed her hand. "I'm sorry." He mumbled. "About earlier. I…I wasn't lying when I said that I cared about you before, but…"

"I had a good time Sho." She gave him a half smile as she interrupted him. "Honestly. I think…when I get back to Japan, maybe we can do something? Okay? But you need to go back now. You can't just hang around here and neglect your work." She hugged him gently, making him stiffen, then relax. "I did miss you." She whispered.

"I missed you too. Goodbye." He hugged her, then let her go.

She smiled. "Bye Sho. Have a safe flight." She turned slipped inside, leaving him on the porch.

* * *

><p>Kuu sat on the sofa in the dim room, looking up when Kyoko entered. "Hey sweetie." He said softly. "How was it?"<p>

She had a strange look on her face and he was worried for a moment. "It was…okay." She shrugged. "He's going back to Japan tomorrow morning." He looked at her in concern. "I'm going to bed. Goodnight."

"Night." He called softly as she disappeared up the stairs. 'That was odd...'

* * *

><p>Kyoko sat in her room, hugging her knees on her bed, wrapped in a blanket. 'He tried to kiss me. He really does like me.' She closed her eyes, remembering the way her heart had jumped when he got close to her. 'No! What's the matter with me? I love Kuon!' She closed her eyes again, remembering the way she felt when Kuon held her, kissed her. 'Sho is my friend.' She told herself. 'Kuon doesn't care if I am friends with Sho. I do not love Sho.' She groaned. 'My life is getting really complicated…will Moko-san know what I should do?'<p>

* * *

><p>Kanae leaned back on her bed and gasped when her boyfriend's lips touched her neck. He crawled over her and stroked her side, biting her neck gently. She squeaked and half heartedly put a hand on his chest to push him away. She moaned when his hand moved her lower back and massaged her. "Yukihito, we have to stop." She moaned. He smirked and held her closer, bringing his lips to hers. She felt her body turn to jello when he slipped his tongue into her mouth, and she stopped fighting him, trusting him to stop soon.<p>

Right when she closed her eyes and stopped fighting, she heard her phone ringing. She pushed her boyfriend off of her and grabbed it, checking the phone. "Hello Kyoko." Yukihito smiled and moved away so that she could talk on the phone. Suddenly, Kanae turned bright red. "Mo! What makes you think he's here?" She blushed even brighter and covered the mouth-piece. "Kyoko says hello."

Yukihito laughed and moved her hand. "Hello Kyoko." He said into the mouth-piece.

Kanae put the phone back to her ear and listened. "MO! Kyoko! Don't ask that!" She cried, covering her face with her free hand. She sighed. "Yes, we were." She mumbled, making Yukihito blush.

'Yes, we were what?' He didn't dare ask.

"MO! What did you want!" A long pause and Kanae's irritated face grew thoughtful. "Mo Kyoko. No I do not.' She brought her knees up under her and pulled the blanket around her. Yukihito helped as Kanae listened. "No he will not be. It's perfectly normal. I do it too. It doesn't mean you don't….no. Kyoko, it is not the same thing." Yukihito frowned in confusion, but Kanae shook her head, making it obvious that he would not be brought into this conversation at any point. "Yes I do. I think it's a great idea. You need to do this, and Kuon understands." Now Yukihito was really curious. "Yes. I'll talk to you later." She blushed again. "Yea, you too. Okay. Thanks. Bye."

"Well?"

"Girl talk." Kanae put the phone on the table and turned to her boyfriend with a smirk.

"Oh come on Kanae."

"What? It's between me and Kyoko." He stared at her, and she rolled her eyes. "Okay, fine. Kyoko was having tampon trouble and…" Yukihito's eyes widened and he lifted a hand.

"No, that's okay. I don't actually need to know." She smiled and stood before he could grab her again.

"Good. I didn't think so. I'm going to make something to eat. You want anything?"

"Sure. I'll help." He stood and followed his smirking girlfriend into the kitchen.


	32. Nervous

Chapter 32: Nervous

Sho pressed his lips against Kyoko's in the dark room. She whimpered and wrapped her arms around him. "Sho." She whispered. "Kuon's going to be here soon."

"Don't worry." He mumbled, pulling her down on the bed. "He's not do back for another ten minutes. We have time."

"Sho!" She moaned when he stroked her back. "Sho!" Her voice rose in volume when he slipped his tongue into her mouth. "I love you...Is that music?"

Sho's eyes flew open and he jerked awake as the alarm went off. Rolling over, he slammed his hand on the snooze button. "What is the matter with me!" He mumbled irritably.

* * *

><p>Dashti and Lady Saren sat in the kitchen, hard at work. Or, at least Dashti was. They were kneeling on the floor, a bucket of rags on the floor in front of them, and another bucket, full of dirty, soapy water, in the middle. Dashti was scrubbing at a rag, and Saren seemed to be just massaging one between her fingers. "Was there a promise? Between you and the Khan?" Dashti asked Lady Saren. She reached over and took the rag from Saren, scrubbing at it for a moment. Saren stared at her, hints of resentment showing, and she snatched the rag back.<p>

"I'll do it myself, Dashti!" She snapped. "And I don't know what you mean about the promise. I don't remember." Dashti's eyes narrowed.

"I don't know why I bother to keep singing you the healing songs." She muttered under her breath, hiding her voice by plunging a rag in the dirty water. "Maybe there's nothing to heal."

"Cut." Director song stood. "Let's see it in playback. Rosa, you resent her. Try to remember that." Kyoko sighed and gave a nod.

"Of course." Halee looked over at her, hints of superiority showing, until she turned and joined another actress standing on the sidelines. Kyoko stood and walked over to where they were watching the scene on playback.

"You seem distracted, Rosa." Director Song said offhandedly.

"Um…maybe a little. I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it. You've been working a lot lately, and tomorrow is Friday. You're almost done for the day. Are you ready for tomorrow's scene?" She wondered.

Kyoko closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Yes. I'll be ready."

Director Song looked worried for a moment, but nodded. "Okay then. Everybody, get ready for the next scene."

Khan Tegus sat in a low-lit room, reading papers, and surrounded by more. Dashti stood in the doorway, totally still and silent, and watched as he smiled over something. Finally, he turned and looked at the doorway. He gasped and his eyes seemed to focus. "You started me! I didn't realize anyone was here."

Dashti laughed and Tegus gave a soft smile. Dashti walked over and knelt in front of him, touching his leg and singing softly. He closed his eyes as her hands moved from his leg to his stomach to his chest. She frowned after a moment. "May I…may I sing to you again, my lord?" She asked.

"My leg feels fine." He sat up with an absentminded smile. "That will be all."

Dashti clenched her teeth and gave him a firm look. "Sit down." She commanded, and he looked up in surprise when she placed her hands on his chest. Instead of fighting her, he leaned back. "Berries in summer, red, purple, green." She sang softly. "Digging and scratching, the earth bears a kind." He leaned back, tensed, relaxed, then gasped in surprise, his eyes wide, and his arm flailed, papers scattering. "Are you alright?" She asked, touching his chest with a shaking hand.

He nodded, eyes still wide. "You pricked me just then…I can't explain it."

"Was it…" Dashti hesitated. "Was it as though you had a splinter inside, deep in your chest, that had been there so long you'd forgotten to notice the pain, and the song reminded you so you could pluck it out."

His eyes widened again, and he looked at her closely. He looked into her eyes and smiled. "Thank you Dashti." He whispered.

Her eyes widened, and she jumped up, grabbing at papers and wiping a tear from her eye. "Where's that food storage account?" He mumbled.

She looked around and caught sight of it. "Here, my lord." She handed it to him, not meeting his eye.

"You read?" He asked incredulously.

"Yes my lord, and write."

"And where do you work when you're not attending to me?"

"In the kitchen. I'm a scrubber."

"You read and write, you have the voice of the goddess Evela, and you scrub in the kitchen."

Dashti laughed. "Evela's voice! I'm no pretty singer, no sit-and-listen singer. My mamma used to say my singing voice is as rough as a cat's tongue and that's why my healing songs work. They dig at you, get inside, clean you up."

He gave an amused smile. "Where's your mother now?"

"In the Realm of the Ancestors." She mumbled, and tears suddenly fell from her eyes. She shoved the papers into his hands. "Please excuse me, my lord." She managed, through her tears, then fled the room. Once in the hallway, she stopped behind a large plant and placed her hands over her face. "When I think of all the times I sinned against Saren's Khan's nobility, I'm shocked I haven't been struck dead." She have a half hysterical laugh. "Perhaps in the morning, I'll wake as a pile of ash."

"Cut. Thank you everyone."

Kyoko stepped into her dressing room and slipped out of her dress and pulled on her regular clothes. It was now mid May, a little less than a month since Sho's visit, and her subsequent talk with Moko-san and a few days since Kuon had last visited. He wasn't coming this weekend, but Kyoko had other plans.

Kuu sat outside her building in his car, waiting for her. She hurried to the car and smiled at him. He leaned over and pushed her door open, then pulled her over and kissed her temple. "Hey sweetie. How was work?"

"Really good."

"You're nervous." He was staring at her with a strange expression and she smiled.

"Yes, but I'll be fine."

"Are you sure you want to do this?" He wondered. She took a deep breath and nodded.

"I'm sure. I've waited long enough. Besides, I have another day before I leave." He smiled.

"I'm proud of you." He ruffled her hair. "But are you sure you want to do it alone?" She nodded.

"I have to." He nodded. They'd had this conversation, and she'd had it with him, Julie, and Kuon on multiple occasions over the last week.

"Is something else wrong?" He wondered. "You seem distracted."

"No. I'm fine." She gave a bright fake smile, and his eyes narrowed.

"Kyoko, why do you bother lying to me?"

"Father, it's nothing. I have a big scene to film tomorrow."

"Ah. What kind of scene?" She shrugged and looked away, blushing a little. He frowned. "Kyoko?"

"Father…I'd rather not talk about it." She whispered. He looked over at her and stopped at a light. "I'll tell you afterwards."

"Kyoko…what are they making you do?" She refused to answer, and his eyes narrowed. "Kyoko." His voice turned stern and she sighed.

"Father, I'll show you the script when we get home. Okay?"

* * *

><p>Kuu looked at the script with wide eyes. Julie read over his shoulder, her eyes wide as well. "Sweetie…" Her voice was a bit hoarse. "Are you sure you want to…do this?"<p>

Kyoko's eyes narrowed and she stood stiffly. "Mother, are you suggesting I don't do a job, despite the fact that I am a professional?" The woman's eyes widened and she went silent.

"Does Kuon know?" Kuu asked, and she shook her head.

"I don't feel the need to discuss my acting jobs with him to get his approval." Kuu sighed.

"Don't be angry, sweetie." He sat the script down and walked over to where she stood, wrapping his arms around her. "I was just worried about you. I'm sorry. Of course you should do it. You are a professional actress." She smiled softly and nodded.

"I know. I'm actually really nervous." She looked at the floor, embarrassed, and clutched her hands. "I was hoping the director would film it…differently, but…" Kyoko blushed. "I have to do it just like the script says."

"Will you have…" Kuu blushed. "Ahem. Will you have something to…um…wrap your…um…"

"I'll be wearing a skin wrap on my…um…" She gestured to her hip, the best she could manage, her face bright red. "But not…um…they will show a little…uh…" She blushed even darker and Julie hugged her.

"Don't worry sweetie. The movie's rating isn't high, so they can't do much. Maybe your back."

"But the other cast members…"  
>"Are professionals." Kuu finished for her reassuringly. "Or they'd better be, or they'll be dealing with your angry father." She managed a smile.<p>

"Thank you."

* * *

><p>Kuon frowned at the phone as he and Kyoko chatted. Kyoko sounded…strange. "Are you okay?" He asked as soon as there was a lull in the conversation.<p>

"Huh? Yea. I'm fine." She told him brightly.

"No, you aren't. You're using that fake, cheery voice that you use when you're upset."

"Kuon." She laughed softly. "I'm fine."

"Please tell me." He pleaded softly. She sighed.

"Kuon, it's nothing. I have a hard scene tomorrow and I'm coming back to Japan tomorrow night…I'm just stressed I guess."

"What kind of scene?" He wondered.

She hesitated. "A…um…a mostly, sort of, kind of nude scene." His eyes widened and he stared at the phone.

'What! No! No you are not! I forbid it! No one is allowed to see you nude...I haven't even seen it yet!' He closed his eyes and forced his anger away. 'She is a profession. I will not get in the way of her career.' "That's…interesting."

"Are you angry?" Her voice sounded so small, and he was quick to comfort her.

"Of course not. You are a professional actress. I'm not exactly happy with it, but it is part of your job. I'm not going to get angry with you for doing your job." She was silent. "What is the scene about?" He wondered, trying to divert the conversation a little.

"It's one of the last scenes in the movie. Dashti has an idea of how to expose Lord Khasar as a wolf and save Khan Tegus from having to go to war with him. She goes before his army, in just a cloak, which she drops, and humbles herself before him as a trick. Then she sings the song of the wolf to him, forcing him to change in front of his army, who then attack him. He leaps on her, breaking her ankle, but they kill him. Then Tegus rescues her and she agrees to marry him."

"That is a rather long scene."

"Yes. I think it's the longest scene in the movie."

"Do you want me to come?" She barked a laugh.  
>"Kuon, you can't come here every time I have a little trouble."<p>

He laughed as well. "No, but I wish I could." His voice was wistful. "And I won't see you this weekend."

She was quiet, and when she spoke, there was a smile in her voice. "Maybe I can stop by Tokyo this weekend?" He grinned in excitement, imagining her in his apartment again.

"I would love that."

* * *

><p>Sho drummed his fingers on the table, anxious. "What's the matter with you?" Shoko snapped, looking up from her paperwork. "If you are going to sit around and fidget, get out of the office."<p>

"Geez Shoko. What's your problem?" He glared at her childishly.

"My problem is you have been sitting there, drumming you fingers, for thirty minutes instead of finishing that last song. And if you must goof off rather than work, do you have to distract me while doing it?"

He stood angrily and stormed out, slamming the door. When he reached the hallway, his phone vibrated it, and without thinking he jerked it out of his pocket. "What!" He snapped in way of a greeting.

"Hello to you too." His eyes widened and he was instantly remorseful.

"Sorry Kyoko." He mumbled.

"What's wrong with you today?"

"Shoko's being mean." She laughed at his childish voice.

"Temper, temper." She warned.

"Yea, yea. Whatever." He rolled his eyes good-naturedly. She laughed a little. "How's Kuon?" He wondered.

"He's good. I might see him this weekend when I go see my father."

"Hey! You're going? Good for you." He smiled and leaned against the wall, his mood lifted already.

"What about you? How's Mimori?"

"Um…she's okay. Going back to France later this week. I think she likes it there." Kyoko laughed at his rueful voice.

"Aw. Why don't you go with her?"

He shrugged, although she couldn't see him. "I have so much work here…maybe I'll go next time if Shoko says okay."

"How is Shoko?"

"She's good. Well, she's mad right now, but she's good."

She laughed sympathetically. "Go apologize to her." She ordered.

"What? You assume it was me?"

"Just do it. I'll talk to you later, Sho."

Sho sighed. "Bye." Rolling his eyes, he pulled the door open and slammed it behind him. "Sorry Shoko." He muttered irritably. She rolled her eyes.

"Whatever Sho. Just go finish the song, will you?"

* * *

><p>Kyouta sat across the table from his daughter, Kuri. "Are you sure you want to be here?" He wondered, passing a serving bowl over to her.<p>

"Thanks." She mumbled. "Yea, I am sure."

"Well I'm glad." He smiled. "I'm sure the two of you will get along just fine. Takarada-san said that she was excited to meet you."

"When will she get here?"

"She's flying in and should be here early Saturday morning. She's staying all day, and I think she's taking the train to Tokyo that evening to see her boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?" She smiled a little.

"Um…yea. You met him. Ren Tsuruga." Her eyes widened.

"Kyoko is dating Ren Tsuruga?"

"Yes, but don't tell anyone. They're keeping it a secret for a while." She nodded. "So when she gets here, we'll need to have food ready, and…um we should probably clean the house today, and we…"

"Dad, are you nervous?" She smiled at her amused expression.

"Maybe a little."

"She's going to love you." Kuri stood and hugged him, kissing his cheek. "Everyone does."

* * *

><p>"Are you sure?"<p>

"Of course I am. I need to meet him, Kanae. He's my Dad, I have the weekend off, and I can stop by Tokyo on my way back. I'll get to see you on Sunday!"

"Oh, stop. You know you're only coming for your boyfriend."

"Moko-san! That's not true! I really miss you." Kanae sighed, smiling softly.

"Mo. I miss you too." She slipped out of the bedroom and leaned against her kitchen counter. "Have you told Ren about the scene tomorrow?"

"Yes. I don't think he was too happy, but he told me that he wasn't angry."

"He'd better not be. It's your job."

"I know."

Kanae frowned at her friend's tone. "Are you nervous?"

"Yes." She mumbled. "Moko-san, I have to be…naked." She whispered. "And the other actor has to fall on top of me."

"Yea…have you guys been practicing that?"

"A little." Kanae pulled herself up and perched on the counter. "I have to let him fall on me so that it looks like he breaks my ankle and hits me on the head."

"Are you sure you can do it?"

"What do you mean, Moko-san?" She asked in a hurt voice.

"I mean, are you sure you are ready for the stunt? You could really get hurt."

"Moko-san cares about me!" Kanae rolled her eyes and dropped her head in her hands.

'It's been a while.' She sighed. "Mo! Kyoko, of course I do! But I'm sure you'll be fine. Just. Stop. Crying!"

"Kanae? What are you yelling about." Kanae looked up and was about to answer when her face blanched.

"Moko-san, is that Yukihito?"

"Uh…"

"Did he…KANAE! Did he spend the night!"

"Mo! Shut up!"

"Moko! You slept with him!"

Kanae turned bright red. "It wasn't like that! He was here late and…"

Yukihito smirked and she shoved past him, slamming the bedroom door behind her. "Mo! We didn't do anything! He just slept here." The silence was doubtful. "Mo Kyoko. I wouldn't lie to you. We haven't done anything like that, I swear. He just walked me home and it was really late and he doesn't start until…"

"Moko-san, it's okay. I believe you." Kanae sighed in relief. "But…just be careful Moko-san." She said quietly.

Kanae was taken about. 'She…she really cares about me a lot.' "I will." She told her softly. "I'll be careful."

**A/N: :) SO, what do you think? I hope that cleared up some of the Sho/Kyoko stuff.. They are just friends. That is all they will be :) (Did I freak anyone out with the first part? lol.)  
><strong>


	33. What Professionals Do

**A/N: First, all of you guys who review and favorite and alert, you are all wonderful. It is so nice of you to take time and read what I write, and I appreciate it so much. Now, I stayed up until 3 in the morning writing this, because I was having so much fun and I've been waiting for it for a while now. So please forgive any spelling errors. I did proofread...but it is 3 am and I am tired and should go to bed...but also very excited about this chapter. I hope you enjoy it.**

Chapter 33: What Professionals Do

Kyoko woke before the alarm the next morning, unable to sleep any longer. 'I have nothing to be nervous about." She told herself firmly as she sat up in bed and pushed the worry out of her mind. 'I am a professional and I have a job to do.' She slid over to the side of the bed and stood, stretching. 'I don't think i even got an hour of sleep.' She thought tiredly, though adrenaline seemed to be doing a good job of keeping her up. She padded over to her dresser but paused when she received a text message.

"Are you okay?"-Kuon

She read the screen and smiled. 'He knew that i would be up early.' "I'm terrified actually. How about you?" She typed.

She sat the phone down on her dresser and went into her bathroom, jumping in the shower and washing quickly. After stepping out and wrapping her hair in a towel, she checked the phone again, trying not to get it wet.

"You are going to be great. I love you."-Kuon

She smiled brightly. "Thank you. I love you too." She sat the phone down again and sighed. Grabbing a pair of jeans and a loose blouse from her closet, she dressed quickly and ran downstairs, wondering all the while why she was even in a hurry. 'I have twenty minutes before I even need to be awake.'

She entered the dark kitchen and sat in a chair, clasping her hands again and taking a deep breath. 'It will be fine." She told herself firmly, then stood again. She walked over to the refrigerator, opened it, then closed it again. Her phone vibrated in her pocket and she pulled it out, glad for another distraction. "Hello?"

"Hey. Are you going to be okay?"

"Kuon, I'll be fine. Well, I'll be fine once the filming is over." She laughed nervously.

"When do you film?"

"I have to be on set at nine. We are filming a few scenes, then going to another set, a closed one so that we'll have privacy for filming, and that will be where we film the scene on the battlefield. They are probably setting it up now."

"What time do you get off?"

"Probably around six tonight. After we finish that scene, around noon or one, we are going to do narration for some of the other scenes we've already done."

"Okay. I'll call you this afternoon. Good luck."

"Thank you. Talk to you later. I love you."

* * *

><p>Kyoko paced in her dressing room on location, worrying the makeup artist in the doorway. "Rosa, are you ready?" She asked with a soft smile, shutting the door behind them.<p>

"Hm? Yes." She smiled a little. "I'm ready."

"Great." The woman, who doubled as her wardrobe assistant, pulled out a long cloak and sat it on the chair. Rosa began to strip out of her clothes and the woman turned her head, handing her the wrap, which Kyoko slipped on quickly, and then the cloak. Kyoko wrapped it tightly around herself, her face burning red. She touched her face, cooling her cheeks, and wrapped the cloak tighter. "Okay, that's all. The director instructed me to send you out to her as soon as you finished."

Kyoko nodded and followed the woman out to where Director Song, Ian, and Zach stood. The men were careful not to stare at her as she walked over to them, blushing.

"Alright everyone, we want to get this scene done in one take. We have a limited amount of time here." She didn't add that Rosa seemed uncomfortable, but it was implied. "Everyone knows their lines? What you are supposed to be doing?" They all nodded. Kyoko and Ian had been practicing this for a few days off and on, and it usually worked out well. Kyoko just had to be sure to act hurt as soon as he fell on her and they hit the ground. Because he was turning into a wolf, effects and CGI would be added later. For the moment, he was not in costume. They walked out to the field, which was amazing. Kyoko picked her way across the giant room. At the end were the actors who were playing the characters in Lord Khasar's army. On the other end was the backdrop of the castle and Khan Tegus' men. Kyoko walked around, looking at the grass and the rocks that littered the field. She winced when she stepped on one, then concentrated on stepping over the biggest ones.

"Okay, places people!" Director Song sat in her chair and everyone moved to their places. The crew moved to their respective places and began looking through the camera lenses. "Ready? Action!"

Rosa took a deep breath, then Dashti took over.

Dashti pulled the cloak around her as she walked delicately across the field. She was shivering, both from cold and fear. Twice, she tripped on the rocks sticking up from the ground. When she reached the army, she stopped. "Lord Khasar!" She screamed, her voice a little hoarse. He smirked and stepped forward. "Khan Khasar, you mean to say? I'm letting you live for the moment because I'm curious about this girl who crosses my battlefield. Just what are you offering? I won't pay."

The men all laughed and Khasar lifted his sword, calling out something indiscernible, but which caused two dozen of his men to move between him and Dashti, swords drawn and bows pulled back. "Take another step and I'll show you the Eternal Blue Sky the color of your liver! If Tegus thinks to use an assassin, he'll not fool me by sending a woman with a poisoned dagger."

Dashti shivered, pulling the cloak as tight as she could. "Chinua, check her!" Khasar commanded his war chief. The man stepped forward.

"Show me your hands!" Dashti lifted her hands to the sky.

They stared at her. "Now deliver your message before I gut…"

"My lord, it's me, Lady Saren." Her voice trailed off, her fear evident now.

"Speak up!" He commanded.

"I'm Lady Saren!" She called

"Lady Saren!" He laughed, and ugly smile on his face. "I knew that khan wouldn't be able to resist breaking you out. Take off your hood. I want to see your scared cow eyes."

Dashti let her hood drop. Her hair fell down her back and she stared at him. "The day you threw flames into the tower, the day you tried to smoke me like winter meat, I guess I've never been so scared in my life." He laughed, making her eyes narrow in disgust at the sound. "I believe that was also the day you bathed in my waste." She pointed out with a smirk. He flinched. She took a step toward him, but three of his men moved to block her.

Dashti took a deep breath and Kyoko wanted to cry. Both closed their eyes and unhooked the neck clasp. The robe fell to the ground and the girl shivered. Lord Khasar's eyes widened. "You see, I'm hiding no weapons, my lord." She was trying so hard to sound brave, and she bit down on her tongue. "You see, I submit to you. I'm here of my own will, as you wanted. I'm sacrificing myself for this realm. If you are a man of honor, before the Ancestors, under the Eternal Blue Sky, you'll keep your word. Take me and leave this realm in peace."

He continued to stare at her. His warriors, on the other end, turned away, looking at the ground or the clouds. Some had looks of pity on their faces. "Please." She choked on the words and she took a deep breath. "Please don't make me stand here like this." She begged. "Please say you'll accept my sacrifice and let me put my cloak back on. Please." He walked closer to her, his men stepping away.

"You surprise me, Lady Saren." He continued to walk. "I never expected you to do anything but tremble and cry. Though I see you're trembling, where are the tears? Ah, I think I see one. That's better." Dashti swallowed a sob forcefully and bowed her head. He moved closer and close and she threw herself to her knees.

"Witness all!" She cried, lifting her hands. "See, Lady Saren surrender to Khan Khasar. I sing the song of submission." She closed her eyes. "I sing the song of the wolf." She whispered. "Yellow eyes, blink in the night. Two paws in, two paws gone." She sang loudly, looking nervously at the soldiers. Over and over she sang, leaning forward and touching his boots.

The man stared down at her, his face puzzled, his body stiff. "What are you…"

She sang louder and he threw his head back, staring at the sky. She closed her eyes and sang again, pouring her soul into the song. He stumbled back for a moment, his eyes closed now in focus. The men were still looking away. Khasar suddenly groaned loudly and Chinua looked over. "My lord? Khan Khasar?" He asked.  
>Dashti stood, still shaking, still singing in a now raspy voice as she placed her hands on his chest. "I think you'd better stand back now girl." Chinua pulled his bow back.<p>

A tear fell from Dashti's eyes and she kept singing. "The night! The night! The night drips from your teeth. The night melts from your eyes. Yellow eyes!"

"Stand back, or your eyes will be strung together on my arrow." He aimed at Dashti's head and she screamed the song.

Lord Khasar threw back his head and howled, right at the Eternal Blue Sky. Dashti smiled in triumph, then dropped to the ground as an arrow whizzed over her head. The man began to claw at the air, howling and screeching. Dashti sang on, her voice hoarse, shaking as she forced her voice to work.

Then he changed. Clothes ripped and the sound of flesh bulging and changing filed the air. From the ground, she heard "It's our lord! Do not harm him!" Chinua ran around, shouting to the men who were now staring at the wolf in shock and fear. "Change back, my lord! It's day!"

Dashti shut her eyes. 'I lost.' She whispered, then reached over and grabbed her cloak. Suddenly, the wolf's eyes were on her. He crouched and snarled. She opened her mouth to sing, but only a terrified squeak came out. She stood, stumbling, and made it three steps before the wolf pounced.

Kyoko screamed in pain when Ian's head slammed into her own and her knee twisted under his weight. Swallowing, she tasted blood as it flooded her mouth. She tried to move her leg but had to muffle another scream and then quickly gave up. 'Oh God…oh no. No, no, no. Please don't tell me I broke it.' She managed to pull herself away and screamed her song like the script called for, then let her head rest on the ground when Ian collapsed on her. She stared up at the sky as the actors around her continued with the script, struggling to keep the black spots in check. 'I just have to get through this scene. I'll be fine. I'm supposed to be hurt. No one will know until the scene is over.'

"My lady, are you all right?" She heard the actor playing Batu call.

"Yes!" She managed as the world around her seemed to slip in and out of focus.

"Is that Khasar?" She nodded, barely managing the action. Any movement above her neck made her head explode and her vision cloud.

"It was." 'Thank God I can still remember the lines.' She lifted her head and the world spun. The other actors continued with the dialogue, but she couldn't quite follow, until they pulled Ian off of her and she was painfully brought back to reality. She screamed. 'At least that's what I'm supposed to do.' She sat up and nearly fainted, black spots appearing.

"My lady, can you come with me?" Batu asked. She nodded and forced herself to stand, trying to ignore the now spinning field. She put all of her weight on her left leg and limped forward, pulling the cloak around her. She hobbled over, nearly collapsing once or twice. Suddenly, someone ran over, picked her up, and climbed back onto a large horse, adjusting her so that she was on his lap. She looked up and recognized Zach, then took a breath in relief.

'I'm supposed to say something…' "My lord." She said, then swallowed blood.

The horse began to canter and Kyoko thought she was going to black out. He tightened his grip on her. "We've got to get you inside city walls and out of bow shot, and then I'll ask Bloodnose here to give us a nice, smooth walk. Just a little farther, just hang on." He whispered.

"I'm all right." She managed. "I could keep riding…" The horse jostled her and she gasped, tightening her grip on his arm. "…all day. Why don't we…go mushroom hunting?"

"Now that's a fine idea and I would agree, but I must admit I'm embarrassed to be out with such a scatterbrain. It seems, my lady, you forgot yet again to put shoes on this morning. What would your mother say?"

"I just wanted Khasar's opinion…on whether my ankles are sturdier…than yours."

He smiled down at her gently. "And what did he say?"

"I don't think he…liked my ankles so well. He fell on me…and broke one." She closed her eyes and a tear fell from one. 'More like my knee.' She realized that she could move her ankle, but her knee felt strange and she was unable to bend it.

"That wasn't very kind. I think there are better ways to tell a person you don't approve of their ankles than to break one."

"That's what I thought too. His manners always were…" Kyoko clenched her jaw for a second, dizziness encompassing her. 'Just a little longer.' "La…lacking."

"You're going to have to marry me now." He said softly with a fond smile, holding her tighter.

"But I…" She gasped when she hit her knee on the saddle and whatever he said, she missed. When he stopped talking, she remembered her next line. "As always…my lord, you make perfect sense." He leaned over and kissed her neck softly, but she barely felt it. She closed her eyes once more, wondering how she had ever kept them open.

"Rosa?" She heard him mumble, but she couldn't respond. "Hey, are you okay?" She let the blackness take her when he shook her gently. 'At least I finished the scene.' Was her last thought when the director called 'Cut.'

Zach looked down at the girl in his arms, adjusting his grip, not wanting her to fall. "Rosa?" She went limp and his eyes widened in fear. The director was talking, but he called out, interrupting her.

"Director Song! I think she's hurt!" He suddenly had everyone's attention and the director jumped up. She ran over to where he stood and Ian joined them, rubbing his head.

He looked guiltily at the director. "I hit her too hard when I jumped and I hit her head." The director nodded and reached out to get her down. Zach worked with her to put the girl down on the ground gently.

Director Song placed her fingers on the girl's neck as Zach jumped down from the horse and the crew began clearing everyone out. She touched the girl's face. "Rosa?" She called, shaking her shoulder gently. Maya shook her head, and her assistant joined her. "Call an ambulance." She ordered, and the woman jumped up and pulled her cellphone out. "I'll call her father."

* * *

><p>Kuu stormed into the room, making people literally jump out of his way as he passed. His face was set in a scowl, and he threw the doors to the set open. Director Song looked up from the side of the gurney where Kyoko lay. The paramedics looked over at the formidable man as his froze and stared at his daughter. "What happened?" He demanded of Maya.<p>

"I am so sorry." The woman whispered. "There was an accident during the last scene and…"

"I can see that!" He thundered, then pinched the bridge of his nose. "What happened?" He asked again in a calmer tone. 'It isn't going to help if I get angry.'

"She hit her head, pretty hard. Another actor his her head with his first, then she fell and I think she hit one of the rocks. Her knee is swollen and I think she injured it pretty badly."

"Did you not practice this stunt?" He asked quietly.

"Of course…but not on location. There wasn't time." He nodded, his eyes furious, then he rushed over to where the paramedics were strapping his daughter down.

"I'm riding with her." He informed them coldly, and they only nodded. Once inside, he sat beside her and took her hand. "You are going to be fine." He informed the unconscious girl firmly.

* * *

><p>Kuu paced the emergency room, ignoring his ringing phone and the stares from other people who were sitting in small groups. He checked the clock and realized that he had been waiting for an hour. He was about to go back to the front desk and demand to see his daughter when a doctor appeared. "Mr. Hizuri?" He called.<p>

Kuu nearly ran up to him. "Yes? How is she?" He demanded.

"Mr. Hizur, you are her father?"

"Yes! Now how is she? Can I see her?" The doctor sighed.

"Come with me please." The men walked through a set of double doors and stood in a deserted hallway. "She seems to have a concussion. She is still unconscious, and had to have a few stitches on the right side of her head. We are currently treating her knee. Basically, she twisted her knee and dislocated her kneecap, and tore a ligament. She won't need surgery, but she will need to stay off it for a while."

Kuu nodded. "Okay. No problem. When can I see her?"

"Well, they should have finished resetting her kneecap by now." He gestured for Kuu to follow him, which he did. They came to the open door and Kuu rushed to his daughter's side. He flinched when he saw the stitches on the side of her head and the needle attached to her arm. "Her knee will heal just fine. It's her head we are worried about." Kuu looked back at the doctor who had joined him by her bed. "She hasn't woken up, and we suspect that she might have a concussion. It seems she hit her head pretty hard." The doctor walked over to the other side of the bed and picked up a clipboard, reading the chart. "We just have to wait until she wakes up before we can do anything more." Kuu nodded.

"Thank you." He took a seat beside her. "I'm going to stay with her, if that's okay." The doctor nodded.

"Of course. Visiting hours are over at eleven, but we'll see what we can do if you would like to stay."

"Thank you."

* * *

><p>Two hours later, Kuu picked up Kyoko's ringing phone. "Hello?"<p>

"Dad? Why are you answering Kyoko's phone?" He wondered.

"Kuon…"

"What?" Immediately Kuon picked up on his father's tone, and his voice was filled with worry. "Is she okay? Did something happen with the scene?"

"Well..." He brushed some brown hair from her face, earning no response from the unconscious girl, and tried to think of the best way to tell his son what had happened. "There was an…accident. Kyoko fell during the scene, and she hit her head."

"She hit…is she okay? Does she need to go to the doctor? Can I talk to her?"

"Kuon…they had to call an ambulance. She's unconscious."

* * *

><p>Yukihito picked up his phone with a sigh. It was 7 in the morning, and he didn't need to be up until 9. "Hello?" He mumbled.<p>

"Yukihito, clear my schedule for a week."

Yukihito bolted up. "What!"

"Clear. My. Schedule. I need a week."

"Ren! What on earth are you…no. No I can't."

"Yukihito, if you don't clear it, there are going to be a lot of disappointed directors and photographers in Tokyo."

"Ren, stop. What is the matter with you? Why do you need a week off?"

"I have to go see Kyoko."

"REN! I can't believe you! You can't run to America every time you get the urge to see her!"

"I'm on the President's plane." He told him simply. "You have to clear my schedule.

"Ren, what are you…"

"She's in the hospital, Yukihito!" He snapped, making his manager jump. "She hit her head during a scene, and she's unconscious." Yukihito was silent. He stared at the phone.

"Okay Ren." He spoke softly. "I'm calling the President. I'll take care of your schedule."

* * *

><p>Kyouta picked up his ringing cell phone, wondering why President Takarada was calling him. Kuri looked up from the sink where she was cleaning their dishes. "Hello? Yes, I…what? Is she…She what?" Kuri sat the dish down and walked over to where her father was standing, worry in here eyes. "Takarada-san, I have to come. No. Yes I do, but I have to. Okay. Yes. Bye." He shut the phone and looked over at his daughter.<p>

"We're going to California." He informed her quietly.

* * *

><p>Kuu looked up blearily when someone touched his shoulder. He knew it wasn't his wife. She had left hours ago. He looked up, and found his son's bright green eyes. Kuu smiled. "Hey Dad." He glanced at Kyoko, worry written all over his face. "How is she?"<p>

Kuu groaned and stretched. "The same."

"Why don't you go on home?" He asked quietly, pulling his father up and hugging him in way of greeting. "I'll stay with her." Kuu nodded, too tired to argue. Kuon sat down and took Kyoko's hand.

When his father had left, he closed his eyes and squeezed her hand, fear piercing his heart. He looked around and noticed the needle coming out of her arm and the stitches on her head. Gently, he ran his hand over the side of her head, stroking her hair.

"The director said that you finished the whole scene." He whispered, and then kissed her hand. "She said that you acted perfectly. I'm so proud of you, but you should have stopped. You could have really hurt yourself." He laughed softly. "More than you already managed to." Her hand twitched and he smiled. "Hey, can you wake up, sweetheart? Please?" He whispered. She frowned, her eyes opening a little, then closing, then opened again.

"Hmm?" She mumbled, and he smiled.

"Hey." She opened her eyes and met his.

"Huh?" She looked at him drowsily, then glanced around the room. "What's…what happened?" She mumbled.

He squeezed her hand gently. "Do you remember anything?" He asked, concerned.

She shook her head and winced, laying back down. He touched her forehead gently. "I'm going to call the doctor in." He said softly. "Just stay awake, okay?"

"Mmhmm."

He returned with the doctor a minute later. "Hello. I'm Doctor Ros. How are you feeling?"

"My head hurts." She told him softly, closing her eyes. "My stomach feels sick, and I can't move my leg."

He nodded. "That's normal." He informed both Kyoko and Kuon. "Can you answer a few questions for me?"

"Okay."

Kuon sat beside her again and took her hand as the doctor took another seat. "What is your full name?" He asked.

"Kyoko Mogami."

"Good. How old are you?"

"17."

"Okay. Can you tell me who this is?" He gestured to Kuon who was looking at her, obviously worried.

"Um..." She closed her eyes. Opening her eyes, she looked at him. "Kuon." She smiled softly.

The doctor smiled at the way she was looking at the man. "Very good. Can you tell me how you were inured?"

Kyoko took a deep breath, the fog lifting a little, and she tried to remember. "I was filming for a movie. I…fell?"

"More or less." The doctor smiled at her. He asked her a few more questions, like the date, the names of her family, and her address. When he was satisfied that she was not suffering from amnesia or any other memory loss, he left and returned with a cart full of needles. The doctor performed a few blood tests and left them alone for a few minutes with strict instructions to Kuon not to let her sleep.

"Kuon, how long have I been out?" She wondered, laying her head on the pillow tiredly.

"About a day."

"Did...did i finish the scene?"

He smiled at her. "Yes. You finished it. It was perfect." He stroked her head gently, trying to ease the pain, but being careful not to touch the stitches, then noticed that her eyes had been closed for a while. "Hey, don't go to sleep." He squeezed her hand and she forced her eyes open. "You have a concussion. You can't go to sleep until the doctor comes out." She nodded, blinking a few times, trying not to drift off. He talked to her for a few minutes, keeping her awake, until they heard the door open.

"Kuon! Where is my..." The man in the doorway froze and Kuon looked at him in surprise, then back at the frozen Kyoko. He squeezed her hand and she managed to tear her eyes away from the man for a second. "...daughter?" She looked back over and the blood drained from her face. Kyoko slumped back against the pillows and Kuon looked back at the man tersely.

"Tanaka-san...I think you'd better leave for the moment." The man looked from his shocked daughter to her anxious boyfriend and backed out, nodding.

"Of course." He mumbled. "Sorry..."

Kuon looked at Kyoko's pale face and knelt down. "Are you okay? Do you want me to call the doctor back?" She moved her head to the side a little, trying to shake her head no. A tear fell from her eye and Kuon carefully hugged her.

"That's my father." She whispered. Kuon nodded, although it hadn't been a question.

"Yes. His name is Kyouta Tanaka." He informed her, although she knew already. "I guess the President called him. Are you okay?"

"I...I look like him." She whispered, a small smile on her face as her eyes met Kuon's. "I always thought that I looked like my mother, but...I look like him." Kuon smiled and nodded.

"I'll call him back when the doctor says it's okay." He told her gently. "But you need to rest now."

She looked up at him for a moment, then closed her eyes. "I love you." She whispered, a blush on her cheeks. He gave a warm smile and leaned over, kissing her cheek.

"I love you too."

**A/N: Now, believe it or not, this chapter was actually...PLANNED! Lol. I didn't plan for most of what happens in this story...but this I did plan. So what did you think? Hate? Love? Bored? lol. i hope not. Anyway, let me know. Also, thank you so much to reviews. You guys are awesome!** **Good night! :D**


	34. What Professionals Don't Do

**A/N: First, I do not own Skip Beat or Book Of A Thousand Days. Second, you people are awesome. Thank you so much for reviewing, especially ****CyanideSlur who made me laugh, hana rika, for catching my Friends reference (I don't own that btw) and lechat23, Big Unni234, and leavesfallingup, who are really awesome reviewers who are always very honest and help me fix mistakes. A special thank you to Hanzap109 who left me the sweetest, most encouraging review! SO THANK YOU TO EVERYONE!**

**Also, just so you know, this story has kind of run away with me. Lol. In the beginning, Kyoko was never supposed to: Have a father, act in America, or have any contact with Sho. Lol. Interesting how that worked out. Also, there was no intention of Reino ever appearing…let's see what comes of that, shall we?**

**Another Also, I am so sorry about any weird spacing issues...the uploader was acting weird and I had to paste from Word to make it work, making for some odd spacing. So...sorry. I hope it doesn't detract from the story.**

Chapter 34: What Professionals Don't Do

Kuon joined his father and mother in the waiting room, squinting at the fluorescent lights. Julie and Kuu were seated by the vending machines, and Kuu had three open, empty bags of chips on the chair next to him and was leaning his head on Julie's shoulder, sound asleep. Julie had a magazine sitting on her lap but didn't seem to be reading it. When her son entered and sat beside her, she looked up. "How is she?" Julie wondered tiredly. Kuon kissed her cheek and smiled, his eyes soft.

"Mom, you look exhausted." He scolded her gently. "You should be resting." She pursed her lips and crossed her arms, somehow managing not to disturb her sleeping husband. "She's doing better." Kuon said with a sigh. "The doctor said that it is safe for her to sleep for a while." Julie bit her lip and she looked down at her lap.

"He was so scared, Kuon. When she wouldn't wake up…" Julie sniffed and swiped at her eye. She looked up at him. "We were both so scared." A tear slid down her face and Kuon wiped it away.

"I know Mom. But she's going to be fine." He took one of her hands and kissed it, making her roll her eyes and laugh a little. She reached up and ruffled his hair.

"I know she is. She's a strong girl. But I worry about her. She was hurt so badly, but she had it in her head that she had to finish the scene at any cost." Kuon winced. "I wonder where she got that idea." Kuon flinched as an arrow pierced his heart. "I'd like to have a talk with whatever jerk made her think that." Another arrow, one labeled 'jerk' pierced his heart, and he decided that he would have to have a chat with Kyoko about real professionalism. Kuu, awakened by his wife's passionate speech, blinked and looked over at his son.

"Hey Kuon." He stretched and smiled gratefully at his wife as she rubbed her shoulder.

"Hey Dad." Kuon smiled tiredly.

"Is Kyoko doing any better?"

Kuon smiled. "Yes. She woke up a little while ago, and the doctor said it was okay for her to sleep for a few hours at a time. He said she's not in any real danger at this point." Kuu sighed.

"Thank God." He said softly. "Can I go see her?" Kuon nodded.

"I was going to ask if you wanted to sit with her for a little while. Is it okay if I got back to the house and shower and get changed."

"Of course. You can take your mom home."

"Kuu, I'm not leaving." She insisted, fighting a yawn.

"Julie, you just got off of work. You need to rest." He said firmly. She glared at him.

"Come on, Mom." Kuon stood and took her arm, pulling her up. "We'll go home for a little while and then we'll come back and let Dad rest, okay?" She sighed and nodded.

"Alright." Kuon placed her hand the crook of her arm and they walked out to the parking lot.

* * *

><p>Kyoko shifted in her sleep. 'I'm really comfortable.' She thought with a smile. She was halfway between waking and sleeping, and was feeling groggy because of the pain medicine. 'My leg feels strange. I want to roll over…Ow!' She yelped and opened her eyes, looking around wildly, then slammed her eyes shut when her head throbbed.<p>

"Kyoko? Are you okay?" She managed to open one eye and found Kuu looking down at her anxiously.

"Hi Father. I'm okay." She moved her knee a little and winced. "Well, relatively." She gave him a tired smile and he tried to smile back.

"Your dad is here." He told her softly and she nodded a little, and then wished she could remember to not do that when the pain returned.

"He came in for a minute before Kuon sent him away."

"Kuon was probably worried that you weren't feeling well enough to see him. How does your head feel?"

"It hurts." She mumbled and he brought his hand up to the stitches. "I hope that doesn't scar."

"I don't think it will. I have some cream that we can put on it when they take the stitches out." He shook his head sadly, then leaned over and kissed her temple.

"Where did Kuon go?" She asked quietly.

"He was exhausted. He and your mother went back home to get some rest."

"What about you?"

"I got some sleep while he was sitting with you."

"Father." Her eyes managed to be disapproving. "Please go home." She told him gently. "You're exhausted too. I don't need anyone to stay with me." His eyes narrowed.

"Do you think I'm going to leave my little girl here alone?"

"Father, my other father is here too." She told him gently. "I'm not alone." He looked at her skeptically.

"Kyoko, are you sure you want him to come sit with you?"

"Father, I'm going back to sleep in a few minutes. It's fine."

He glanced toward the door, then back at his drowsy daughter. "Are you still tired?" He asked, a little worried.

"I think the medicine they gave me for my knee is making me sleepy."

He sighed and stood. "Okay. I'll get him." He told her, too tired to argue.

* * *

><p>Kyouta drummed his fingers on the headrest, wondering if he should have brought his daughter. He had asked her to stay at the hotel and she had agreed. He closed he eyes and sighed. He understood why Kyoko's boyfriend hadn't wanted her to see him, but he was worried about her. She had looked so small in that bed with a wire coming from her arm and her tiny hand resting in the man's larger one. Suddenly, he glanced up and saw a man walking purposefully toward him. Kyouta stood when the man reached him and shook the offered hand. "Hello. Kuu Hizuri."<p>

"Kyouta Tanaka." They shook hands and Kuu cleared his throat.

"I'm Kyoko's father." The man told him simply.

"What a coincidence." Kuu laughed.

"Look, would you mind sitting with her for a little while?" He asked softly.

Kyouta's eyes widened. "Um…sure. I'd love to. I haven't…I haven't actually spoken to her yet." He glanced over at Kuri. "Is it okay for me to go in?"

Kuu nodded. "It's fine. She wants to see you."

* * *

><p>Kyoko's eyes had just drifted closed when she heard the door open and then click shut. She opened them again and turned her head slowly, trying not to upset it. In the dim room, she made out a tall silhouette. It stepped closer and she looked into the man's golden eyes. His black hair was cropped short, and he was smiling at her. Fear crept into her heart and she remained silent.<p>

"Hello, Kyoko." He said softly, trying not to let on how nervous he was. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Um…I'm feeling better." She mumbled, looking down at her hands. He sat down beside her.

"I didn't know." He whispered, making her look up at him. He looked up sadly. "Kyoko, I swear your mother didn't tell me." He was shaking his head, staring at his hands. "Or maybe she tried. I'm so sorry. I…I should have apologized before. I should have found a way to contact you but…"

"That wasn't your fault." He looked up at her soft voice. Her eyes were soft and she was smiling a little. "I don't know about the other stuff, but I…I couldn't contact you. I just…so much has happened and…"

"I understood." He assured you. "I still do." He reached out and took her hand. "But, I am so glad I finally get to meet you." He touched her face softly, a tear falling from his eye. "My daughter." His eyes were shining and Kyoko's widened.

"You…you're glad to meet me?" She asked.

"Of course. I was so happy to hear that I had another daughter. I can't wait to get to know you." He stood and hugged her carefully, then pulled away. "Why don't you try and get some rest now?" She closed her eyes, not needing any more prompting.

* * *

><p>Four hours later, Kuon opened his eyes and was momentarily confused. 'What am I doing in my old room?' He thought with a groan as he forced himself to stand. 'Kyoko! I have to get back to the hospital.' Somehow me managed to walk to the bathroom, step into the shower, step back out, and drop back onto the bed. 'I hate jet lag,' was his last conscious thought.<p>

* * *

><p>"What is the matter with you?" Kanae stared at her boyfriend, who was nearly passed out on her sofa. She threw the food down that she was making and stood over him, crossing her arms. "Will you get up and help me?" She snapped.<p>

"Uhrm." She lifted an eyebrow.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Karrmei…" He whined.

"That is not my name."

"Tiered."

"Tiered? What? What are you talking about!"

"Karrmei!"

"We've been through this." She sat down in front of his side and leaned over, running her hand through his hair. "Are you okay?"

"Mhm."

"Liar." She put her hand on his shoulder and massaged it gently. "Still rearranging Tsuruga's schedule?"

"Mhmm." He moaned when her other hand came to his shoulder and she rubbed harder.

"Why did he have to fly to America so suddenly anyway?"

"Uhm…movie." He managed, trying to remember what excuse he had been instructed to give her. Her eyes widened, then she smirked.

"If it was a movie, why didn't you go? And why wasn't it planned beforehand?"

"Because." He mumbled.

"Because why?" She whispered in his ear, moving so that she could press herself against his back, and continued rubbing his shoulders. He closed his eyes.

"He went to see Kyoko." He mumbled as she stroked his back, pushing against him.

"Why?" She whispered in his ear, nearly straddling him, her tongue barely touching his earlobe.

"She's in the hospital." He gasped when she nearly licked him.

"What!" She screeched, making him jump. She climbed off of him, jerking him upright by the arm and grabbing his shoulders, forcing him to look at her. "What happened to her!"

Yukihito groaned, letting his head fall back. "Can't we do this later?"

* * *

><p>When Kuon arrived at the hospital (much) later that evening, he found Kyoko, alone in the room, sitting up in bed with a tray of food in front of her. "Hey." He greeted with a soft smile, which she returned.<p>

"Hello. Did you get enough sleep?" She smiled at him as he sat next to her bed.

"No…but I'll be fine." She laughed and pushed the tray away, turning a little to face him. "Kyoko, you hardly ate anything." He scolded her.

"How much have you eaten today?" She demanded, lifting an eyebrow.

He smirked; glad that she seemed to getting her spirit back, but noticing the way she was trying to keep still. "I'm not the one who's hurt." He informed her. "You need to eat and keep up your strength."

"I'm not hungry." She told him, and he frowned, worried.

"Did you tell the doctor that you don't have any appetite?" She looked away and he stood, grabbing the tray and pulling it over. "Come on." He lifted the top off of a dish containing a sandwich. "Just eat a little, for me?"

"Only if you eat something." He rolled his eyes.

"Fine. But you first." He held the sandwich up to her mouth and she took a small bite, chewing and finally swallowing. He did the same.

"Ick." He wrinkled his nose and she giggled. "This is horrible."

"I know. Hospital food usually is."

He grinned at her. "Well if they let you go tonight, I'll get us something edible. But can you eat a little bit first?" She smiled and took another bite, ordering him to do the same. The doctor knocked on the door and stepped in.

Kuon moved a little and let the doctor take her pulse and check a few of the machines, writing on his clipboard. "Kyoko, have you been feeling nauseous or dizzy?"

"Um…not really."

"Does your head still hurt?" He asked, turning toward her.

"Whenever I move." He nodded and went to the IV cart, making some adjustments.

"Hopefully that will help with the pain. Do you think you can stand?" He asked, and she frowned.

"I don't think so." She said sadly, and Kuon squeezed her hand.

"All right. We'll try in the morning, but I'm going to need to keep you overnight." She nodded and her face blanched again. She stilled, swearing under her breath, and the doctor smiled a little. "And don't move your head."

"What about her knee?" Kuon asked. The doctor moved the blanket to the side to expose her leg.

"We reset the knee cap and put ice on it. She'll need to keep and ice pack on it for a while, and she will need to keep it elevated. She may or may not have to do physical therapy for her leg. Until then, Kyoko, you have to stay off of it as much as possible."

'That's hardly my choice.' Kyoko thought a bit irritably, since she couldn't really even move her leg at the moment. Kuon noticed her expression and laughed a little.

"Um…what about work?" She ignored the incredulous look her boyfriend was giving her and focused on the doctor.

"Work?" He asked, glancing at Kuon, their faces mirroring each other.

"Yes. I'm an actress. I have scenes to film and…" The doctor held up his hand.

"Kyoko, you can't stand." The man told her, crossing his arms over his chest. "As a matter of fact, you can hardly move your head. How do you propose you act?"

"I have to!" She cried, siting up a little and fixing him with a determined fire burning in her eyes. "I will get through the scenes."

"No." They both looked over at Kuon who was looking at Kyoko angrily.

"Kuon! You can't…"

"No." He told her again, his voice hard. The doctor looked back and forth between them, then stepped back nervously.

"Ahem. I'll just let you have a moment." They didn't notice him leave.

"Kyoko, you aren't going back to work until you're better."

"Kuon! I have to work. I'm a pro…"

"No. Don't say it! Kyoko, I was wrong." He told her simply. She opened her eyes wide, about to argue, but one look at his face shut her up. "I am so sorry. Kyoko, as a professional, I set a horrible example for you, a new actress. I was stupid and didn't take care of my health, and because I was too proud to admit it, I…" He sighed and took her hands. "I made you think that a professional is someone who goes to work no matter what, but a real profession puts their own health and safety first. I am so proud of you for putting so much effort into that scene, and getting through it, but if you work now, you could make your injuries a lot worse. You were right when you told me that an actor's body is their tool for the profession. You have to take care of yourself if you want to be an actress." She looked down at the floor.

"Can I…" She sighed. "Can I at least do the narration? Will the Director be angry? Will she replace me!" She looked at Kuon with wide eyes, large dramatic tears streaming from her eyes, and he sighed.

"She won't replace you." He told her gently. "This is her fault anyway." He grumbled.

"Kuon! This isn't her fault!" He rolled his eyes, not wanting to waste energy by arguing with her.

"I hate that you have to stay here all night." He told her softly, resting his head on her shoulder gently.

"I'll be fine." She told him, carefully moving her head onto his and he laughed at the awkward position. 'Although I really don't like being here by myself.'

"I'm staying." He told her, as if reading her thoughts. She moved away a little and he smiled at her. "I'm not going to leave you here alone."

"Kuon you can't! Where will you sleep?" He smirked.

"With you of course." She blushed and looked away.

"Kuon, you can't…" She gasped as he moved the covers off of her and gently picked her up, with his arms under her back and her thighs, cradling her head to keep it still and holding her legs firmily to keep her knee from moving, and placed her closer to the other edge of the bed. Then he slipped his shoes off, climbed into the bed next to her, and rested his head on the pillow. Reaching over his back, he found the control for the bed and laid them flat, then pulled the sheet over them.

"How's this?" He asked softly, nuzzling her neck. She smiled.

"Thank you." She whispered, not about to tell him to leave. He pulled himself up on one elbow and kissed her, moving his lips against hers and licking her bottom lip. She opened her mouth and he turned his head, stroking her tongue with his own, making her moan. One of her hands came up to his head and she ran her fingers through his hair, and was rewarded he smiled against her mouth and then pulled away, moving his lips to her neck and nipping gently, then licking the red place. She whimpered, her lips opening a little and curving into a small smile. Her lips caught his eye again and he left her neck alone in favor for them.

When Kuon heard the door handle turn, he pulled away and rested his head on the pillow, pretending to sleep, and Kyoko did the same, a thrill of excitement going through her at the thought of having Kuon beside her. The doctor chuckled softly, and then turned the lights all the way down.

"Doctor Ros, he can't stay here." One of the nurses whispered just loudly enough for them to hear. "Visiting hours were over a while ago."

"They'll be fine." He whispered back, leading her out of the room. "I won't tell if you won't."

**A/N: Tada! lol. I rewrote this chapter three times, so hopefully third time's a charm.**


	35. Sisters

**A/N: Please forgive spelling errors. Had fun writing...going to bed...zzzzzz**

Chapter 35: Sisters

Kuon woke slowly, feeling warm, but wondering why he was stuck on the edge of the bed. He started to scoot over but hit a barrier. He brought a hand up and touched the barrier, finding that it was warm and soft. He smiled in recognition when he found an arm. He put his arm around her and moved closer to her, bringing his head up beside hers and inhaling deeply. He opened his eyes and looked at the side of her head. Sadness filled him when he saw her stitches. He moved a little and kissed her temple, and her lips curved into a small smile.

"Hmm?" He grinned and kissed her again. "Mmn." She started to roll over but he stopped her, putting his hand on her shoulder. She opened her eyes and turned her head slowly, wincing a little but obviously not in as much pain as she had been. "Good morning." She mumbled.

"I believe it is closer to afternoon, but good morning." He kissed her lips and she blushed at the sweet look on his face. "How are you feeling?"

"Better." She brought a hand up to her head and winced. "Mostly better." He smiled, stroking her head. "What time is it?"

He sat up, looking around for a clock, which he couldn't find, and then found his cellphone.

"It's 11:34." He stretched and groaned, turning and slipping out of the bed, then pushed the button that sat her up. As he was settling into the chair, Doctor Ros came in.

"Good afternoon, Kyoko, Kuon." They smiled and greeted him as the doctor took Kyoko's pulse. "Good. Vital signs are normal." He looked at the machine she was hooked to and then back to her. "We'll need to do some more blood work, then we can see if we can get you out of here by tonight. But fist you need to eat something."

"I'll go get something for her." Kuon told him, standing. "There's a restaurant downstairs. Is a salad okay?" She smiled at him gratefully.

"That sounds perfect. Thanks."

The doctor nodded. "Alright. I'll be back in an hour to do the blood work."

Once the two had eaten and the doctor had done some blood work, Kuu arrived with Julie, both of whom had taken off for the evening. The doctor gave the okay for them to sign her out, though she was confined to a wheelchair and he told her that she would be allowed to use crutches after a check up in a month. The doctor gave her strict instructions to rest her knee, continue to ice it, keep it wrapped in a compress bandage, and to keep it elevated. He also told her that she was to stay off of it as much as possible. She had started to argue that she had to get back to work, but the stern faces of her mother, father, and boyfriend, she kept her mouth shut.

The doctor put a brace on her knee before letting her go, and Kuon helped her into the wheelchair. Julie and Kuu signed her out and they wheeled her out to the car. She took a long, deep breath and smiled at the sky. Kuon walked beside her, a hand on her arm, and then lifted her into the car.

When they reached the house, Kyoko was situated in the living room and Kuu began cooking. Julie sat next to her daughter on the sofa and took Kyoko's hand. "Sweetie, your father and I had a talk." Kyoko cocked her head and Kuon sat on the ottoman by Kyoko's leg, curious. "Kuon, how long are you staying?"

"Well, I should probably leave after tomorrow." He looked regretfully at Kyoko. "Yukihito is going to kill me as it is." Kyoko smiled softly at him.

"You didn't have to come." She told him. "I would have been okay."

"But I would have worried too much to get any work done." She looked away, blushing a little at the look he was giving her.

"Ahem. Anyway, after tomorrow, Kuu and I are going to alternate taking weeks off to stay with you."

Kyoko's face drained of blood and her mouth dropped. Even Kuon raised his eyebrows. "What! No! You…" She was stopped by Julie lifting her hand.

"We've already informed Kuu's manager and I've talked to my design team. It's fine. They understand that we have to take care of our daughter."

Kyoko froze. Closing her eyes, she could clearly see herself at 11. It was the sickest she had ever been. Lying in the bed, too weak to cry, she had felt chills and fever ravage her body. Fuwa-san had put a cold cloth on her forehead and placed a glass of water beside her. "I can't stay, Kyoko. We open soon. I'll come check on you later."

Kyoko opened her eyes and stared at the floor. 'No one has ever cared about me. Ever. Not enough to skip to work, or to drop everything and do something for me. Now…I have a boyfriend that, despite being the most popular, and one of the busiest actors in Japan, will drop everything and fly to America just to come see me, and a mother and father who take off from work to take care of me.'

"Kyoko?" Julie touched her shoulder. "What's the matter?" She watched as a tear slipped from the girl's eye, then as her whole face lit up.

"Thank you." She smiled shyly at her mother. I just…I never really believed that I could be so lucky." She put a hand up to her mouth and sobbed a laugh. Immediately Julie understood and put her arms around her daughter.

"My poor little girl." She whispered. Kuu walked in, giving Kuon a questioning look.

"Um…everything okay?" He asked, glancing between the women.

Julie sniffed and wiped at her eyes. "Of course. Everything's great. Let's eat."

* * *

><p>Lory tried his best not to cower in his seat. The woman sitting across from him was radiating fury. The man at her side seemed exhausted. "What can I do for you Yashiro-san, Kotonami-san?" He asked with a bright smile. Kanae's hands were clenched in her lap, and she only stared at the wall behind Lory's head.<p>

"Actually, President-sama, I wanted to make a request." Yukihito said with a tired smile. The President nodded.

"Of course, Yashiro-san." He told the man, puzzled.

"I need a vacation."

"A…a vacation? Um…Yashiro-san, you do realize that Ren is busier than ever, with Kyoko in America and his trips back and forth to see her?"

"Yes. Of course. I just thought I'd…" The temperature in the room dropped several degrees. Kanae turned to look at Yukihito with a face Lory couldn't quite interpret, but his best guess was a mix between a death threat and a demand. "Actually…I haven't taken a real vacation since I began working with LME." He cleared his throat nervously. Kanae crossed her arms and sat back. "It's in my contract that I get at least a week of vacation every year, and I would like to take it."

Lory raised an eyebrow. "Um…well, in that case, when would you like to start your vacation?"

Kanae sent Yukihito another look. "I would like to start tomorrow."

* * *

><p>Kyoko crossed her arms and pouted, something she rarely did. Kuu laughed. "Kyoko, don't be upset. You heard the doctor. You need rest." He smiled at the girl lying in the bed, propped up by pillows. He had taken first shift taking care of her, and was finding that she was a lot more stubborn that he had first anticipated.<p>

"All they want me to do is narration."

"Kyoko, no work. None. Hey, think of it as a vacation. When was the last time you had a vacation?"

"Um…when did I get here?"

Kuu laughed again. "Kyoko, seriously. When was the last time you took a vacation from work? A real one?" He sat on the side of the bed and leaned back, looking over at her.

"Um…never." She told him honestly.

"You never took a vacation?"

"No…I started working at the inn when I was about…six." His eyes widened and he leaned forward, staring at her in surprise. "Then I moved to Tokyo and worked two jobs, then I started acting." She gave him an innocent smile, missing the stunned look on his face. "Between jobs is the only vacation I've ever had."

"Two jobs in Tokyo? Why two?" He wanted to know. "Did you not go to high school?"

"Not until the President let me go when I joined LME." She said cheerfully, remembering how happy she had been to get to go to high school. "Sho hated the apartment we lived in at first, so I got another job so that we could afford an expensive place."

"He made you work two jobs…for a nicer apartment?"

"Um…I wouldn't say he made me…" She laughed nervously, suddenly noticing a similarity between her protective father and The Demon Lord. "Ahem. You're probably right. I shouldn't work until the doctor says it's okay."

* * *

><p>Kyouta knocked on the front door of the giant house and was greeted by the tall blonde Hizuri from the hospital a few days ago. "Good afternoon, Mr. Hizuri."<p>

"Hello Mr. Tanaka, please come in. He stepped aside and realized that there was a young girl with Kyoko's other father. "Oh hello." He smiled. She gave a slight smile as the two entered his home.

"Hello Mr. Hizuri." She said in slanted English. "I'm Kuri Tanaka."

"Nice to meet you, Kuri-chan." He said is perfect Japanese. Her smile widened.

"Actually, we were wondering if…if we could see Kyoko, Mr. Hizuri." Kyouta slipped his shoes off, as did Kuri, and both looked for slippers before realizing where they were. Kuu slipped a hand into his pocket.

"Please, call me Kuu." He invited them. "And of course you can see her. I'll bet she'd be very happy to see you."

Kuu led them up the stairs and knocked on Kyoko's door. "Kyoko, your father and sister are here. Can I come in?"

"Just a second." She called in a tight voice, and he frowned.

"Are you okay?" He asked through the wood, one hand on the doorknob.

"Yea!" He heard the panic in her voice and was about to push the door open when Kuri stepped forward, past both men, slipped into the room, shut the door, and locked it. In the hallway, the two men stared at each other, stunned.

Kyoko looked up from the floor, wrapped in a towel, to find a young girl with her eyes staring back at her. The girl took a step forward and her eyes seemed to change from golden to a softer brown, and then back. She offered the girl a tight smile, but the girl only shook her head. "What were you doing?" Kuri asked in a soft voice so their fathers wouldn't hear.

"I just wanted to take a shower." Kyoko admitted sheepishly, speaking in Japanese since the girl had. "And I was able to, but when I was walking back in here, I put too much weight on my leg."

Kuri noticed how her sister was sweating and how her hand was balled into a fist. "Here." She offered an arm and carefully pulled the petite girl to her feet, helping her the last few feet to the bed, and sitting her down. "Let's get you some clothes, then we can put ice on that." She walked over to the dresser. "Underwear?"

"Bottom right." Kuri pulled a pair out and bent, slipping them over her feet, then helping Kyoko pull them up.

"Pajamas would be easier." She told the thoughtful girl.

"Okay. Top right." Kuri found a soft pair of shorts and a long shirt and helped Kyoko pull the bottoms on while her sister slipped the shirt over her head.

"Good. Now…" She piled some pillows up at the head of the bed and helped Kyoko move up carefully, then put a pillow under her knee. "How's that?"

Kyoko smiled. "That's perfect." Kuri found an ice pack and placed it on her knee, adjusting it until it stayed on its own, then pulled the covers over her sister. When she was finished, Kui sat on the very edge of the bed, picking at her skirt to occupy her hands now that she was no longer needed. "Thank you, Imouto-chan." Kuri looked up in surprise and found Kyoko smiling softly at her.

Kuri's eyes lit up a little, and she smiled shyly. "You're welcome Onee-san."

* * *

><p>After a few minutes of being ignored Kuu turned to Kyouta. "Let's give them some time alone, shall we?" Kyouta agreed and they walked downstairs. "So have you seen Box R?"<p>

* * *

><p>"You went to Tokyo by yourself!" Kyoko laughed.<p>

"Not completely. I was with my friend at the time. But after we…parted, I was pretty much alone."  
>"I can't imagine! Last year, I took the train to Tokyo with a friend to visit a university. I was terrified."<p>

"A university! Really? What was it like?"

"It was huge. People were running around everywhere, and studying like crazy. I don't think I'll ever be ready."

"You'll be fine. I'll bet you are a great student." Kyoko smiled, a strange happiness shooting through her.

"Well…" Kuri blushed. "I did get really good scores on my exams….but I'm sure you did better." Kyoko laughed.

"I had to quit high school because I came here, but I did get good scores on my entrance exams."

"You can't go to school here?"

"Well, there was legal stuff with my mot…with Saena. But now I might reenroll when I go back to Japan."

"When are you going back?"

"As soon as my contract with my agency here runs out."

* * *

><p>Kuu and Kyouta knocked on the door and pushed it open, plates of food in hand. "So you've acted in two TV series!" Kuri was saying.<p>

"Hey. You girls ready for some food?" Both girls looked up in surprise, and then nodded. Kyouta leaned over and hugged Kyoko, then handed both girls a plate. Kyoko noticed how Kuri looked away when her father hugged her and frowned. "So what have you been talking about?" Kuu wondered, kissing Kyoko's forehead and sitting beside her bed.

"Nothing really." Kuri gave a half smile and took a bite of her food. Kuu looked over at Kyoko, a bit worried at the girl's tone, but his daughter only nodded her agreement.

* * *

><p>"Are you angry at me?" Kuri looked up in surprise. Both Kyouta and Kuu had gone downstairs, Kuu to get more food and Kyouta to give them time to talk. Kyoko had watched as Kuri looked away or frowned every time their father spoke to her and was worried.<p>

"What?"

"I just…I know that you don't like it when I talk to your…our…um….Tanaka-san hugs me or…or pays attention to me and…"

"I'm not angry with you." Kuri mumbled. "I'm just…" She looked up. "How would you like it if you had to share your father?" She blurted. Kyoko laughed a little.  
>"I do. With my boyfriend." Kuri blushed.<p>

"You…you're dating your brother!" Kyoko laughed out loud, blushing.

"No. Kuu is his father. I'm Kuu's…adopted daughter…but not legally."

"Oh." Kuri remembered hearing something about that at one of Lory's meetings but hadn't been paying attention. "Well…that's weird."

"Hehe. Yea. A little, if you stop and think about it, but he really is…"

"I meant sharing my father." Kuri was blushing and Kyoko wondered what the girl had thought she was going to say.

"I'm sorry Kuri."

"It's not your fault." Kuri sighed irritably, crossing her arms and looking away. 'She's so nice too! I shouldn't be angry with her, but I feel so strange watching my father talk to her like he does to me."

"I know. But I'm sorry that this had to happen."

"I'll get used to it." Kuri said simply.

"Kuri, it's not really something you have to deal with." She told her softly. "I live in Tokyo. You live in Kyoto. We probably won't see each other…"

"What?" Kuri interrupted, holding up a hand. "You aren't ever going to visit?"

"Kuri…I didn't think you would want me to." Kuri's eyes widened.

"You're my sister!" She cried. "Of course I want you to visit. I just…seeing my…our dad with you is going to be hard at first but…I am glad to have a sister." Kyoko smiled.

"Okay. We'll make it work. Somehow. We'll both get used to it soon enough."

Before she left, Kuri wrapped her arms around her sister. "I'm going to miss you." She told her. "When you get back to Japan, come visit?"

"I will." Kyoko promised. "And if you even want to come visit me in Tokyo, we can spend the day together. I'll show you around, and you can show me that university."

"That sounds like fun."

**A/N: Okay, so there was going to be a huge dramatic scene…I swear. It was going to be dramatic and angsty…but I couldn't do it! It seemed so…cliché! And….out of character a little bit. Personally, I was raised as an only child but have two half sisters, both a lot older, and I just love being with them and feeling….I don't know…sisterly. It's something very special that only people with sisters know I guess. So…I made it sweet instead. Sorry if you don't like it, but I do. :)**


	36. The Stripper Stole The Ring!

**A/N: So this chapter has a lot of time skipping and such, but I thought it would be boring if I spent forever talking about Kyoko being stuck at home with Julie and Kuu. Hope you enjoy.**

Chapter 36: The Stripper Stole The Ring!

(This chapter title has NOTHING to do with this chapter. I couldn't think of a good name, so when I decided to name it the next line I heard on Friends…hehe :D)

"Well, you leg is healing nicely, but you still need to be careful." Doctor Ros replaced the knee brace and straightened, turning to the two Hizuris in the room. "It seems your daughter has no brain trauma, but she needs to avoid doing anything that could reinjure her head or knee, which could cause a relapse. She can go back to work, starting off light and building up to a full schedule, and no stunts." He looked at Kyoko sternly. "I mean it. If you reinjure your leg, it could lead to serious long term damage." She nodded meekly and he smiled. "Good girl."

"So I can start acting again?" She asked hopefully.

"You mentioned doing narration before. That's fine. But you need to limit the amount of time you spend walking. If you start to get dizzy, nauseous, or if you are in a significant amount of pain, you need to lie down. If it continues, you should go to the emergency room. Mr. Hizuri, Mrs. Hizuri, if you notice her showing any of these signs, or if she is slurring her words, having reoccurring migraines, or throwing up, make sure you take her to the hospital immediately." They nodded seriously and he smiled. "All in all, everything looks great."

They thanked the doctor and Kuu stood and helped Kyoko off the examining table. She could walk without crutches but Kuu insisted she use them the majority of the time. Kyoko sighed as he handed her the crutches. 'It's been a little over a month since the accident on set, and I still can hardly walk.'

"You okay, sweetie?" Julie asked softly as Kuu and the Doctor walked.

"I'm fine. At least I get to go back to work now, right?" Kyoko smiled cheerfully.

"I know you hate this, but you have to give yourself time to get better." She stroked her daughter's head and Kyoko reached up and touched her hand gratefully.

* * *

><p>Ren drummed his fingers on the steering wheel as he drove to his next job. Yukihito sat silently beside him, thumbing through his notebook. Ren suppressed a sigh. Things had been tense between them since he had returned from America to find that his manager was on vacation. He heard nothing from the man and was unable to reach him until the following week when he immediately took over from the temporary manager without speaking a word to Ren. When Ren had approached him, Yukihito had promised that if Ren ever put him in that position again, then he could find a new manager.<p>

Ren glanced over at him now. "So…how was your night?"

"Fine."

"Oh. How's Kanae?"

"She's fine."

Ren sighed. "Yashiro, are you still angry?" He asked softly.

"Why would you say that?"

"Because you are kind of being a jerk." His voice was hard and Yukihito turned to him with narrowed eyes.

"**I****'****m** being a jerk?"

"Yes."

"Tsuruga-san, do you realize the amount of crap you have put me through these last few months?"

"Yashiro! I wasn't doing it to spite you." He pulled into a parking space. "Kyoko was in the hospital. You can't blame me for going to see my girlfriend in the hospital." Yashiro stared at him in silence. "What, are you made at Kyoko too?"

"Of course not." Yashiro placed the notebook in his bag. "I would never blame Kyoko for this. But I don't think you realize how much trouble I go through to get your schedule rearranged when you jet off to America for a few days on a whim." He opened his door. "We need to go. We're going to be late, Tsuruga-san."

Ren narrowed his eyes at the formal speech. "Why are you talking to me like that? We're friends, remember Yukihito?"

"Tsuruga-san, I work for you." Yukihito informed him quietly. "And lately, I've been questioning the wisdom of that."

Ren jumped out of car and caught his arm. "Please." He said quietly, and Yukihito turned around. "You are my best friend." He said quietly, staring at the ground. "I've always seen you as my older brother, and as the only good friend I have in this country." He sighed. "I'm sorry. Honestly. I'm really sorry. I'm sorry that I made your job so hard and that I never thanked you for everything." Yashiro stared at him in surprise, then nodded.

"Okay." He turned and began walking away.

"Hey! Where are you going? I just apologized!"

"And I accepted your apology." He laughed a little and glanced over his shoulder, but you're five minutes late."

That afternoon, three lucky girls were able to witness the rare sight of Ren Tsuruga sprinting after his manager across the parking lot and into a building.

* * *

><p>Saena sat in her living room, a laptop on the table in front of her, and a glass of wine in her hand. She typed for a few seconds and then sat back to look at the screen. Her phone rang and she didn't even flinch, continuing to stare at the scree with a look of dismay on her face. The phone went silent, and her cellphone began vibrating on the table beside it. She didn't even glance at it. She shut the laptop and put her head in her hands and sighed.<p>

* * *

><p>Kanae knocked on the door, glancing around nervously. The hallway was deserted, save for the occasional crewmember that passed by. When they did, she immediately pulled out her phone, leaned against the wall, and pretended to text. It worked; no one stopped her or asked her what she was doing there. She had seen Tsuruga on set, talking to the director, but hadn't seen his manager anywhere nearby, so she assumed he was in Tsuruga's dressing room. She looked down at the box in her hands and blushed. 'This was such a stupid idea! I can't believe I'm doing this.' The door clicked and Yukihito's face appeared.<p>

"I'm sorry. Tsuruga-san is on set. Can I help…" He froze and a soft smile appeared on his face. "Hello. Can I help you?"

She glared, a blush crawling up her neck. "Just let me in." She mumbled. He laughed and stepped back, letting her in, and then closed the door behind her.

"What are you doing here?" He wondered happily, mentally figuring how much time they had before Ren returned. "Not that I'm not glad to see you…" He took her hand and pulled her over, kissing her gently. After a few seconds, he pulled away and admired her blushing face (and just a little bit of the view down her shirt.)

"I um…I brought you…lunch." She mumbled, turning her face and holding out the bento box. His eyes widened and he took it from her, setting it on the table, and then wrapped his arms around her.

"Thank you." He whispered. "So…" She looked up at the tone of his voice and blushed brightly at the sinful look on his face. "…What can I do for you in return?"

"Uh…I don't…um…" She was silenced when he kissed her again and slipped his hand under her top. "Mhmn." He pulled away for a second. "Yukihito we can't…" He continued kissing her, rubbing circles on her skin, and slipped her hand up to her bra, working at the clasp."

"Okay, so we have thirty minutes for…oh!" The door slammed and Kanae shoved Yukihito away.

"Oh my God!" She screamed into her hands. Yukihito chuckled, a light blush on his face. There was a hesitant knock on the door and Kanae's blush brightened. "Don't you dare!" She snarled at the door, covering her face again when there was a laugh on the other side of the door. She refastened her bra and fixed her shirt, grabbed the box, and shoved it into his hands. "Just eat it." She snapped, and then headed for the door. He grabbed her arm.

"But we have thirty minutes." He whispered into her ear.

"Hey! Not in my dressing room." Ren opened the door with a laugh and Kanae jerked away, storming out. "Goodbye Kotonami-san." He called cheerfully.

"Don't speak to me!" She snapped, slamming the door behind her.

"So Yukihito…"

"Don't say it Ren." He warned lightly, opening the bento box. Ren grinned.

"I was just going to ask if you had any food for me."

"Of course you were."

* * *

><p>"It's been 48 days now. 48 days trapped in this tower. Two weeks since her khan left. I asked my lady how far to his home, and she thinks it'd take about two weeks, so perhaps he's already home.<p>

Today I find myself remembering one night as a little girl, when our gher was still full of family, and a traveling shaman stayed the night. It's good luck to offer any stranger one night under your roof, but doubly so for a shaman. How excited we were! I remember watching the shaman with wide eyes and doing my best to blink as little as possible. If he turned into a fox, as I'd always heard shamans can, I was determined not to miss the sight. The shaman didn't transform that night, but he told us stories of the Ancestors and what they willed us to do in order to enter their Realm one day. And he told us how gentry were the children of the Ancestors, how it was a commoner's privilege to serve them. It was the first I'd ever heard of gentry.

Many times after that night, I liked to lie back and imagine what the gentry might be like…skin that glows like a candle, eyes shining with the wisdom of the Ancestors. Sometimes I actually thought they might have tails like foxes or butterfly wings. Then meeting Lady Saren and her father…

But now I've spoken with Khan Tegus, and though his hands didn't glow or anything, there was something in his voice, in his words, that was different than anyone I've ever known. The mark of the Ancestors must be in him stronger than in some gentry. Maybe that's why his title is khan instead of just lord. I'll ask my lady."

"Lady Saren told me a story tonight while she petted My Lord the cat. How many things she must know! She said that the Eight Realms were once united under a Great Khan, and the seat of his power was Song for Evela. Now all the realms have their own lord or lady rulers, but in memory of the Great Khan, the ruler of Song for Evela still carries the title of khan. I asked her how she knew, and she said all gentry families keep the history of wars and marriage and so on. Such a think as history never occurred to me before."

Maya sat down beside Kyoko in the booth. "Good job Rosa." She smiled. "We're glad to have you back. Are you sure you're feeling okay?" She asked gently, touching the girl's shoulder. Kyoko smiled cheerfully.

"I'm fine. Thank you for allowing me to come back." She grinned. "Are you sure there are no scenes I can film?"  
>"Sorry Rosa. Your father had a…talk with me, demanding that I only allow you to do narration. Your mother stopped by as well, and I got a phone call from your boyfriend, a man named Lory Takarada, and a woman named Kanae Kotonami, all demanding the same thing. You have a lot of friends." Kyoko laughed. "Well, that's four scenes we've finished the narration for today. I think that's enough for your first day back. I'll see you the day after tomorrow."<p>

"I'm not working tomorrow?"  
>"No. Your father doesn't want you working too much."<p>

"It's just nar…"

Maya held up a hand. "It's not up to me. You come in at eleven on Wednesday. Do you have a ride home?"

"Yes. Our butler is taking me home."

* * *

><p>"It's been 912 days. I can hear the rats squeaking madly down there. When I'm half asleep, it sounds as though they're holding a party just to laugh at me. I can't sleep in the cellar again tonight. Though the smells from outside speak of spring, it still gets mighty cold, and my limbs are frozen by half, my jaw sore from chattering.<p>

There are so many rats; I can't think what to do. I can't think much. I'm so cold from sleeping in the cellar, my head feels like ice, and I imagine all the worry is cracking it. It's only been two years and a half. I call outside, shouting of how we're not much time and to send more food or please break us free. I have to think that no one's there. Maybe my lady's family doesn't care if we die, or even remember us at all."

"It's been 918 days, and I've decided. We're going to live. It's such a relief! I begin to feel more my mucker self just to settle my mind on it. A mucker survives. No matter that we've not enough food. We'll find a way."

* * *

><p>Physical therapy began in early June. Kyoko went twice a week at first, then once a week, and then she was finished. Kuon continued to visit her about every other weekend, and though he only stayed for a day or two each time, they managed to spend an evening together every time. It was nearly August before Kyoko was able to walk without a limp, and by then, she was working full time again, attending classes, and had taken to spending the occasional evening with Will, none of which were spent in clubs, though Kuu demanded to talk to Will every time they went out.<p>

One evening, after one such outing, she received a phone call. She checked the name and recognized Jeremy's phone number. "Good evening." She greeted her department head, wondering why he was calling her at nine in the evening.

"Good evening Rosa. I just realized that I wasn't able to speak to you today, and I need to see you in my office first thing tomorrow morning. I received two off…" BEEP Kyoko checked her phone, realized that Kuon was calling, and pressed ignore.

"I'm sorry." She interrupted quickly. "I was getting another call. Can you repeat that please?"

"Oh. Of course. I received two offers for you yesterday afternoon, a commercial and a part in a new TV series. Are you interested?"

"Um…when are they filming?" She wondered, not wanting to get her hopes up.

"Well the commercial begins filming in three weeks, and the TV series begins the week after that, with the first cast meeting being the day after the commercial. It wouldn't interfere with the movie you are filming now."

"How…how long would the TV series last?"

"Probably about a year, maybe more if they wanted to keep your character."

"Oh. Thank you very much. I'll think about it and I'll see you tomorrow."

Kyoko dialed Kuon's number and waited.

"Hey. I'm sorry. My department head called." She apologized when he answered.

"It's fine. What did he want?"

"I got two new offers." Kuon caught the sadness in her voice.

"Is that bad?" He wondered.

"Of course not. One is a commercial that I will probably do. The other is a TV series."

"Oh." He said softly, understanding. "Are…are you considering it?"

"I…I hate to turn down a part. But I want to go home." She whispered. "Is that horrible? I just…I miss it so much!"

"I know." He told her gently. "It's not horrible at all. You will get plenty of job offers here, especially after the movie, and you still have Box R. I'm sure they would be glad to have you back." Kyoko perked up.

"Really! Do you think they would let me start being Natsu again!"

Kuon chuckled. "I believe so. Especially since the show has lost so much popularity since you left it."

"Oh." She said sadly. "I wonder why people don't like the show anymore." Kuon laughed again.

"Because, you made that show."

"Kuon!" She blushed. "I wasn't the main character. I'm sure people liked the other girls a lot better than me." He sighed.

"I don't understand how you just can't see how amazing you are."

"Kuon!" She whined. "Don't tease me." She mumbled.

In Tokyo, Japan, Kuon rolled his eyes, but didn't argue. "Sorry." He said unconvincingly. "So do you have work tomorrow?"

"No. We've actually been finishing up the narration, though I still have a little to do. They won't need us for much longer. Most of what they still have to do is editing.

"Wow. That was quick."

She laughed a little. "Well we stared in mid April, and we'll be finished in mid September. I think the movie should come out in February or March of next year."

"That's great. We'll have to go to the premiere." She smiled.

"I can't wait." She said softly. "This is my first movie. I mean, I love doing TV series, but…we've been working on this for a long time, and we aren't even done yet, and I haven't seen any kind of finished product."

"I understand. I enjoy doing movies, though the filming tends to be more condensed and doesn't last as long as a TV series. It is more rewarding when you finally see the finished movie."

"But…don't you think it's weird to see yourself on a movie screen!" He laughed, nearly able to hear the blush on her face.

"No. Not anymore. It's my job. I try to think of it as, I'm seeing a character on the screen, not myself, just like I do on television, and in commercials."

"It's still weird." She mumbled, but she decided to try to see it that way from then on. 'Less embarrassing.'

* * *

><p>Kyoko arrived at Jeremy's office early the next morning. Pushing the door open, she found him on the phone and sat down in one of the chairs. He sat the phone down after a second. "Hello Rosa. Here are your offers." He slid two folders across the desk and she picked them up. "You have a few days before you need to decide." Before he could pick up the phone again, Kyoko slid one of the folders back.<p>

"I'm really sorry, but I can't do the TV series."

"Oh. Okay." He threw the folder into a drawer and picked up the phone again. She rolled her eyes and left with the other folder in hand.

"Have a nice day." She mumbled.

* * *

><p>Saena stared straight ahead, giving no indication to the empty, dim living room that she was on the phone. "I can't believe you've ruined all our hard work!" The yelling could be heard vaguely from the other side of the room. "I want you to fix this. My son still wants to marry her. I still want to do business with you."<p>

"You mean you need my clients." She mumbled, staring blankly out the window, her exhausted voice void of emotion.

"Yes. I do. And if you don't get her, you already know what's going to happen."

"Get her yourself." She mumbled, pressing the end button, then dialed another number, one that had been very difficult to find.

The girl's voice came through clearly and Saena was barraged with flashbacks. She flinched. She had always hated that voice. "Hello?" The girl spoke in English, but Saena spoke in cold, formal Japanese.

"Hello Kyoko."

In California, Kyoko paled and nearly dropped the phone. "How did you get this number, Mogami-san?"

"It was actually quite difficult. Don't worry. I'm not giving it to anyone."

"What…what do you want?" The girl asked softly.

"I just wanted to tell you that this is your fault." Saena closed her eyes poured all of her hatred into these words, all of the pain and sorrow from her life. "Ever since you were born, you have been nothing but a curse on my life. There hasn't been a day since that I haven't wished that you hadn't been born." She heard a tiny sniff ad smiled, glad that she wasn't the only one crying. "I hate you. I hate everything about you. I gave up everything for you, and now, the one time I needed you, you whine and cry about how I mistreat you, and trick your father into stealing custody from me. Well you'd better watch out, Kyoko, because once he's got what he wants from me, he'll come after you." She pressed the end button and leaned her head back, tears streaming down her face as she stared at the window, going over and over her miserable life in her mind. It had all begun with that pregnancy test, and the man that had rejected all of her calls. Then there had been telling her parents, and the shame that she had felt, giving birth to a married man's daughter. Every time she had looked at that little girl, she had seen the man that had ultimately left her and the life she could have had.

Her phone rang and she picked it up without hesitation. She could hear whimpering in the background, but a man's voice came through the line. "Saena, if you ever bother my little girl again, I will call the police." His voice was murderous, but she only smirked.

"That won't be necessary." She heard the phone click and she held the end button until the phone shut off. She let the phone drop to the floor, slipped her hand under the pillow, and wrapped her fingers around the cold steel.

* * *

><p>Kuu sighed sadly, leaning against the doorway, and watching his wife hold their whimpering daughter in her arms. Thirty minutes ago, the girl had knocked on their bedroom door, throwing herself into his arms as soon as he opened the door. Pulling her over to sit down, he had somehow managed to distinguish the words 'mother' 'phone' and 'scared.' Immediately he had pulled the phone from her hand, checked the last number, and called the woman, allowing his sleepy wife to pull the girl off of him and into her own arms.<p>

"Shh baby. It's okay. She's lying, Kyoko. This wasn't your fault baby." Julie soothed, stroking her hair and rocking them back and forth on the bed. He turned and pulled out his phone, dialing his old friend.

"Hello Kuu. Long time no see." Lory's voice was light and Kuu had to grin a little.

"Hey Boss. Do you have some time to talk?"

"Sure. I'm in a meeting with your son, but I'm sure he's okay with waiting. He says hi, by the way."

"Hello Kuon. Boss, I need to get a restraining order."

"Is everything okay?"

"Kyoko's mother just called her." He told him simply.

"Oh no. Is she okay?"

"What do you think?"

"Hold on. Kuon's curious." Kuu waited as Lory repeated everything to his son, then heard the boy's voice.

"Is she okay? Can I talk to her?"

"Julie's with her right now, but no. She's not okay." Kuu sighed. "We need to keep Saena away from her, Kuon."

Lory's voice came over the phone. "No, don't pout. He called me, not you. Okay, have you spoken to her father?"

Kuu felt the irritation shoot through him, and then suppressed it. 'He is her father, not me.' "No. I wanted to ask you about it first."

"Kuu." Lory's voice was gentle. "She has a real father. I know you love her, and she thinks of you as her father, but you have to talk to Kyouta about this. I thi…" There was a pause. "Kuu, can you hold on for just a second?"

"Sure." Kuu waited, jumping a little when he felt his wife's hand on his shoulder. "How is she?"

"She's asleep."

"Okay. I'll put her in her bed after I get off the phone. Did she say what her mother said?"

"Yes." Julie looked worried. "Kuu…Saena said that Kyoko had better watch out because after 'he' gets what he wants with Saena, he'll come after Kyoko."

Kuu's eyes widened. "But who…"

"Kuu?" The man's voice was grim.

Kuu turned back to the phone. "Yea Boss?"

"You don't have to worry about Saena bothering Kyoko anymore. She's dead."


	37. The Really Long Morning

**A/N: This was sort of an emotionally draining chapter, but I hope you guys like it. I promise it will get happier after this chapter! (Well, I hope it will anyway.) :D Please forgive spelling errors. I am only one person and I try really hard to correct them, but I can't catch everything. Also, thank you so much to reviewers and favorite...ers...? hehe. Funny word. Anyway, you guys are all awesome.**

Chapter 37: The Really Long Morning

"She's dead." Kuu nearly dropped the phone. Julie looked at her husband's pale face and touched his arm in concern.

"What?" She mouthed. He looked at her for a moment and took her hand, squeezing gently. She squeezed back and waited.

"Boss…what are you talking about. Saena called not thirty minutes ago." He mumbled. Julie looked confused.

"I just got a call from Sho Fuwa. Saena was staying in his parents' hotel and when they checked on her, she was dead. They contacted Sho because they thought Kyoko was still living with him."

"Boss…." Kuu looked back at the girl lying in his bed with tear streaks on her face. "Oh Lory she can't. I don't think she can handle this."

"I understand. But I need to speak with her."

"We just got her to sleep Lory."

"Kuu…we are going to have to tell her. You know that right?"

"I know." He mumbled, wishing that he never had to, wishing that she could just forget the woman. "Tomorrow. I'll tell her in the morning."

Lory sighed. "Okay, Kuu. Call me and let me know how it goes." Kuu could hear the worry in his friend's voice as he disconnected the call. Julie frowned and stepped in front of her husband.

"Kuu?"

"Her mother is dead."

"What?" Julie was incredulous. "Kuu…she just called!"

"She was staying with Sho Fuwa's parents, in their inn, and they found her and, apparently they believe that Kyoko is still living with Sho, because they called him looking for Kyoko."

Julie dropped her face into her hand. "Oh my God." She whispered. "That…bitch!" His eyes widened. "She told Kyoko it was her fault!" She whispered harshly, a tear slipping from the corner of her eye, and Kuu gently took her hand and pulled her out of the room completely, shutting the door. "She told Kyoko that she hated her, and that she wished that she had never been born. Kuu, she told Kyoko that everything bad that had ever happened to her was Kyoko's fault." Realization smacked Kuu over the head, and he leaned his head onto his wife's shoulder.

"Kyoko is going to think she caused her mother to kill herself." He mumbled.

"That certainly seemed to be her plan."

* * *

><p>Kyoko stirred when she felt arms under her thighs and back. She opened her eyes a little and found herself being lifted against a strong chest. 'Kuon?' She looked up and found her father looking down at her. "Hmmm?" She managed to mumble, still half asleep. He smiled kindly, his eyes strained and red.<p>

"I'm just putting you to bed." He told her softly, and she smiled happily, unable to remember why she had fallen asleep anywhere else.

* * *

><p>"Cut! Tsuruga! What's wrong with you today?" The director marched up to the set and crossed his arms, glaring at the surprised actor." Embarrassed, Ren started to apologize. "I don't want to hear it." The director lifted a hand and shook his head, startling the repentant man. "You haven't been able to make it through one scene in three hours. If you can't act, I don't need you on set." Yashiro's eyes widened, and he started to go after the director, but was stopped by Ren's hand on his shoulder. Looking into his friend's eyes, his heart clenched at the pain there.<p>

"He's right, Yukihito." He mumbled, his voice pained. "There's no reason for me to be here if I can't act." Yashiro sighed, pulling his planner out. "I'm sorry." Yukihito looked up.

"Ren, I understand. We're all worried about her, but what was it you told Kyoko? 'Even if a family member dies…'" He trailed off at Ren's fierce expression. "Eh…never mind. Let's go. You have a modeling shoot in an hour, which gives us time for dinner and you time to get a grip."

Ren got himself through the modeling gig by pasting a smirk on his face and posing. He kept his phone on vibrate at all times, and it never left his pocket. He was prepared to drop the act at any minute should his phone ring, but luckily for his career, it never did, and so Ren managed to smirk his way through another shoot before dropping Yukihito off at his apartment and drove home.

* * *

><p>Kyoko opened her eyes blearily and found herself facing the clock. The bright red numbers informed her that it was only four in the morning. 'I've only been asleep for a couple of hours.' She thought with a frown. Slowly, the events of the previous evening began to seep into her mind, and she closed her eyes to ward off the pain. 'It's not true.' She told herself, drawing on every ounce of strength she had gained recently. 'I have people who love me. It doesn't matter if she doesn't love me. It's not my fault. I'm not unlovable!' She clenched her teeth, chanting it again. 'I am not unlovable!' A tear trailed down her cheek and she took a shuddering breath. 'I don't care!' She tried to convince herself. "I don't care…that she ha…hates me." Saying it out loud to her empty bedroom made the pain worse and she literally felt it in her heart.<p>

Knowing that she wasn't going to be able to sleep again any time soon, she slipped out of bed. She walked into her bathroom and splashed cool water on her face, trying to reduce the redness that rimmed her eyes. When she ha done the best she could, she left her room and headed down to the kitchen to find something to drink, glancing with a smile at the picture of her and Kuon that had been added to the family photograph wall.

She hesitated at the bottom of the staircase when she realized the kitchen light was on and that her mother and father were sitting at the kitchen table, drinking coffee. Julie looked up before Kyoko could make a hasty retreat and gave the girl a sad smile. "Hey sweetie." Kuu looked over at her in surprise. "Couldn't sleep?" Kyoko merely shook her head and walked over to join them. Julie stood and opened her arms, and Kyoko walked into them, taking a deep breath of her mother's sweet scent. "My poor little girl." She whispered, stroking her hair.

Julie looked questioningly over at Kuu who nodded. "Kyoko…" He spoke up, standing from his chair. "We um…we need to tell you something." Kyoko looked up at his tone and her eyes widened.

"Is everything okay? Is something wrong with you or Mother? Is Kuon okay?" She asked suddenly, and Kuu smiled.

He walked over and put an arm around her, guiding her to the living room and onto the sofa. Julie took a seat on the other side of her daughter. "We are fine, as is Kuon." He smiled at the relief in her eyes, but his happiness was short lived. "Kyoko…honey I don't know how to tell you this." The relief vanished and fear replaced it. His voice seemed to stop working and Julie took the girl's hand.

"Kyoko, your mother, Saena…is dead." Kyoko stiffened, her mouth falling open as she stared at Julie. "She was staying at the Fuwa inn, and…they found her. Just a few minutes after she called."

Kyoko's face was as white as a sheet, and Kuu put a hand on her back, rubbing soothing circles over her pajama top. The girl was silent for several minutes, and Kuu finally jumped up and hurried into the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of tea, then returned to his seat beside her, opening it and putting it into her hands.

Kyoko mechanically brought the tea to her mouth, managing to swallow the liquid she couldn't taste past the lump in her throat. Despite the tea, her mouth remained dry. "How?" She croaked, not looking at either of them. "Who told you?"

"Lory told me. Sho Fuwa called him. I don't know how she died." He resumed rubbing circles on her back until she stood, placing the tea very carefully onto the table, and stepped past her mother. "Kyoko?" He asked worriedly.

"I…I'm going back to bed." Her pitch was perfect. Her breathing was normal and her posture was rigid. "Good night."

Julie jumped up. "Sweetie? I don't think…"

"Not now." Kyoko whispered, then ran upstairs. Kuu stared after her, biting his lip.

"I don't think we should leave her alone." He said softly.

"Me either…but she doesn't want to talk right now."

"Hmm." He walked around the sofa and followed the girl up the stairs. Knocking lightly, he pushed her door open. "Kyoko?" He whispered, seeing a Kyoko sized lump under the covers.

"Please go away." She sniffed, her voice pained, and he sighed.

"Kyoko, I'm not leaving you alone right now." He told her simply, pulling a chair over to the bed. "You don't have to talk if you don't want to, but I'm here if you need me."

For about twenty minutes they sat in silence, the only noise being Kyoko's occasional sniff. Unable to take the heat under the covers anymore, she pushed them away, curling away from her father. He sat by her side, his eyes closed, until he felt a small, hot, hand slip into his own. He opened his eyes and found her staring up at him with read eyes and tears pouring from her eyes. He pulled a tissue out of the box by her bed and wiped her face gently, then picked her up and gathered her into his arms.

"It's going to be okay." He told her firmly, and Kyoko couldn't help the sobs that shook her whole body. "You have a family here in America, another one waiting in Japan for you, and a boyfriend, and they all love you very much." She cried loudly into his shoulder. "It was not your fault, Kyoko. It had nothing to do with you." He pulled away, desperate to assure her of this. "Kyoko." He looked into her eyes. "Please, you have to understand that it was not your fault." Through her tears, she could see the pain in his eyes and nodded.

"I…know. But….she…I didn't…" She shook her head and collapsed against him, taking a shuddering breath and closing her eyes. He rubbed her back and rocked them back and forth. As he held her, she felt the pain in her heart lessen a little. "I need to talk to the President." She said quietly after a while. He looked into her eyes.

"Are you sure?"

She nodded firmly. "I need to know what happened."

* * *

><p>Kyoko sat in her bedroom, alone this time, with a promise to go downstairs as soon as she was finished. She had almost refused to make the promise, but her exhausted parents were obviously afraid that she would do something drastic if left alone, and she didn't have the strength to argue. She waited as the phone rang, then smiled a little when the too familiar voice answered.<p>

"President?"

"Kyoko!" The surprise in his voice was blatant.

"Good evening." She said quietly, taking a deep breath.

"Good morning, Kyoko." His voice turned gentle. "Did Kuu speak to you?"

"Yes."

"I'm so sorry Kyoko." He told her softly. "I…don't know what to say." He seemed at a loss and she suddenly felt a wave of homesickness for her strange, exotic president and her company. She sniffed and brushed a hand against her eyes.

"President, what did…what did Sh…Fuwa-san say?" Her voice came out more distant than he had wanted, but she couldn't help it. It was the only way she was going to get through this.

Lory sighed, obviously not wanting to tell her, but having no justification for not doing so. "Saena checked into the room yesterday morning, said that she wanted to visit his parents, and the three of them had lunch out together. She mentioned a business deal falling through and a problem with a man who wanted her clients. They thought she seemed…strange. Later that night, they sent a girl up to bring her dinner, and the girl ran back down and informed them that she was dead." He spoke in a cool, factual tone, not knowing how to judge her silence.

"How…what happened?"

"She…used a kitchen knife."

Lory heard her breath catch and closed his eyes, wishing that he didn't have to tell her this. "What did…she….do?" The girl's voice was weak and he was hesitant to tell her, but she would find out either way.

"She cut her throat." He heard a loud thump and called out her name.

Kyoko dropped the phone and hurried into the bathroom, slamming the door, falling to her knees and emptying what little food she had in her stomach into the toilet.

Hearing the door slam, Kuu and Julie burst into the room. Kuu grabbed the cellphone and pressed it to his ear while Julie peeked into the bathroom. "Oh sweetie." Kuu looked up as Julie pushed the door open and caught sight of his pale daughter with her forehead resting against the toilet lid.

"Hello? Kyoko!" Lory was yelling and Kuu winced, holding the phone away from his ear.

"It's me, Boss."

"Is she okay?"

"She's…sick." He watched Julie touch the girl's forehead and flinch, then get up and grab a washcloth.

"Kuu, I had to tell her!" Lory's voice sounded tortured and Kuu felt some pity for the man who obviously love the girl like a granddaughter.

"I know." Kuu reassured him. "It wasn't your fault. She's dealing with a lot, and she's exhausted. I think she'll be okay if she can get some rest." Julie was placing the now wet washcloth on her face and stroking her hair. The woman placed a hand under the girl's arm and helped her to stand and Kuu hurried forward to help.

"Kuon is really worried, Kuu. He was sent home because he couldn't focus on work."

"I'll tell her call him in the morning. Let me call you back, okay? We need to get her to bed and try to keep her there." His voice was wry and Lory nodded, though Kuu couldn't see him.

"Sure. I'll talk to you later. But you need to get some sleep too."

Kuu walked over and touched Kyoko's forehead. It was a little hot and he frowned at Julie.

"I think it is just shock." Julie explained. "She'll be fine." She told him as they helped the girl onto the bed and Julie wiped her mouth again. Kuu handed her the tea that he had brought up earlier and Kyoko took a little drink to rinse her mouth, then placed it on the table.

"I'm sorry." She whispered tiredly, and Kuu pulled the blanket over her.

"Don't be sorry. We all need some rest. I don't think anyone is going to work tomorrow, so sleep as long as you want." She thanked them softly and almost immediately drifted off.

In their own bedroom, Kuu wrapped his arms around his wife and kissed her cheek. She nuzzled her nose against his neck and they let themselves finally go to sleep.

* * *

><p>Kuon paced. 'I can't call her. Not yet. Lory said she was sick and exhausted. I can't wake her up. Dad promised to have her call me. He wouldn't forget…right! Maybe I should call…no. Mom and Dad are exhausted too. I hope she's okay. Why did this have to happen while I wasn't there?' He groaned and fell back onto the sofa. 'What am I doing. I need to get my mind on something else. I never ate dinner, did I? I'm not hungry but I think I forgot to eat….I should eat something. Kyoko will be upset if I don't….' He stood again. 'I can't wait until she gets back. I miss her so much. I need to see her. It's been two weeks! I need to call her…I can't call her! Not yet!' He began pacing again.<p>

* * *

><p>"She'll be fine." Yukihito stroked Kanae's hair and nuzzled her neck. She looked away, obviously not moved. "Please stop worrying. She's fine."<p>

"I haven't seen her in months. She was in the hospital and I couldn't be there. Now her mother dies, and I can't be there." She sighed and crossed her arms. Yukihito pressed his lips against her neck and she gasped lightly. "Yukihito! I'm worried about Kyoko and all you do is…ah!"

Yukihito smirked. "Why don't you let me distract you?"

* * *

><p>Kyoko finally awoke at noon, marveling at the fact that she had slept so late. The pain and heartsickness that had been so overwhelming a few hours ago seemed to be receding into a throbbing that she suspected may never go away. She sighed and looked around her room, at the washcloth and open bottle of tea on the nightstand and the used tissues on the floor. She slipped off the edge of the bed and flinched the faint pain in her knees. 'How did…oh. Bathroom…sick…moth….no. Not thinking about that again just yet.' She began cleaning, picking things up off the floor, and made her bed, deliberately keeping her thoughts on folding the sheets under the mattress and pulling the comforter up. Taking a deep breath, she hurried into her closet and changed into comfortable clothes, trying not to think about the fact that she was skipping work.<p>

She caught sight of her cellphone on the nightstand and took a deep breath. 'I want to talk to him. I love my mother and father, and I want to talk to them, but they were up with me all morning...' She picked up the phone, debating with herself. 'Does Kuon know? I can't remember if Father said anything about that. Will I have to tell him what happened? Do I really want to talk about this?" She found her fingers dialing the familiar number. He picked up on the second ring.

"Hello? Kyoko?"

"Key Kuon."

"Oh, Kyoko. I'm so sorry. Are you okay?" His voice was soft. "I mean, of course you aren't, but…are you…is everything…"

"I'll be fine." She assured him, unable to bear the sorrow and fear in his voice.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked gently.

"Um…not right now." She closed her eyes, suddenly finding the thought of discussing her mother unbearable. "I just…I just can't right now." She whispered.

"Okay. But if you ever want to talk, just call me, okay? It doesn't matter when it is, I want you to call me." His voice was pleading and she smiled.

"Thank you." She took a deep breath. "So…how was work?" She asked lightly, trying to change the subject.

"Horrible." His voice was depressed and her eyes widened.

"What happened?" She cried.

"I…was worried about something."

"Oh no! Kuon! You were worried about me, weren't you?" She bemoaned. "This is my fault!"

"Kyoko! It's not your fault. Please don't blame yourself for this. I was worried, but it will be fine. There was no irreversible damage." Kyoko smiled a little at his teasing tone. "I'll apologize to the director and everything will be fine now that I know that you're okay." Kyoko blushed, smiling a little.

"Kuon…" She reprimanded. "You shouldn't say things like that." He chuckled.

"Why not?" He teased, and she found herself laughing softly at his tone.

"Have you eaten?" She managed to switch the topic again, and he rolled his eyes.

"Yes. I have a very healthy dinner, and ate almost all of it." He fudged the truth a bit. It had actually been half of a sandwich and tea.

"What did you have?" She asked suspiciously.

"A sandwich."

"How much of a sandwich?"

"Um…most of…"

"Kuon!" She cried. "You have to start taking care of…"

In Japan, Kuon smirked at the phone, glad to hear her sounding so lively again. 'At first, she sounded so sad…maybe I can help her get through this even though I'm not there.' He heard a pause and he decided to cut in. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry. As soon as I get off the phone, I'll make myself something healthy, I swear." He tried to appease her.

She smiled. "Good. You have to take care of yourself or…" She broke off, closing her eyes. 'Too close. It hurts too much to joke about that. The thought of loosing Kuon like I did….' She clenched her teeth, surprised at how easy it was to reinjure the sore spot in her heart.

"Hey. Don't think like that. I'm fine. I'll eat, okay. I promise." His voice was sad and pleading, and she sniffed.

"I'm sorry." She sighed. "This is just hard."

"I know." He told her gently. "I know it is." There was a pause. "You aren't going to work, are you?" He asked suddenly.

"No. Father told me that I should stay home…and I didn't feel like arguing. I know it's unprofessional…but I don't think I could have gone in today. I know you said that a true professional is able to…"

"Please don't finish that." His voice was pained and she stopped.

"What…?"

"Kyoko, there is nothing wrong with you taking a day off after what happened. I…it was an exaggeration, what I said. Anyone would be upset after the morning you had."

"Are you sure?" She asked in a small voice, and it was obvious how much she craved his approval.

"Of course I am. If anything ever happened to my parents, or, God forbid, you, there would be no way I could go back to work. I love you too much." She blushed again.

'I wish he wouldn't say such embarrassing things…' She thought with a tiny smile.

* * *

><p>Kuu looked up at his daughter's entrance into the kitchen and smiled. "Good morn…afternoon sweetheart."<p>

"Hi Father." She walked over and hugged him, kissing his cheek.

"Are you hungry?"

"Very. What's for breakfast?"

He grinned childishly. "Chocolate chip pancakes." She smiled and grabbed a plate. "Kuon is worried about you."

"I called him. He's coming this weekend." Kuu nodded, smiling. He was always glad to see his son, and seeing his son and daughter together was always wonderful. Also he knew that Kuon would be able to help Kyoko in ways that he couldn't. Seeing her excitement dampened by pain, he touched her hand.

"I know you miss him." He told her kindly.

"I wish…" She looked away. "I wish he was here." She admitted softly. "I really wanted him here when I found out…" She trailed off, staring at the ground, and Kuu nodded.

"I know. And I'm sure he hates himself for not coming sooner. But you'll be back home soon." He reminded her. She nodded.

'My contract ends in September, which is only two months from now, and filming will be done sometime around then. I guess after that…I'll be going home.'

**A/N: Okay, we are getting past all the sadness for Kyoko! (I think...unless I get another idea.) By the way, I sincerely apologize for the profanity. (Just a teeny bit of it though) I loathe profanity and never use it, but honestly I couldn't think of a better word for Kyoko's mother. It was true. That's probably the only bit you will ever see in my stories. Anyway, let me know what you think.**


	38. Distractions

**A/N: ****This chapter sort of felt fillerish, but I think it is important. I hope you enjoy it. :)**

Chapter 38: Distractions

Kuu decided that the only thing he could do to help Kyoko was to distract her, and he did. Julie took her shopping, and for ice cream. Kuu took her to dinner, then to a movie. Then more shopping. By the time they returned to the house in the evening, laden with bags, Kyoko was at least smiling genuinely. She knew that Kuu and Julie were just trying to get her mind off of her mother, and at first she was just trying to make them happy by playing along, but halfway through the day, she had begun to truly enjoying herself. She dropped her bags off in her room, and was promptly called back downstairs to watch one of Kuu's movies. Snuggling in the blankets between her parents, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes, finally allowing her thoughts to drift back to her mother.

'She's dead.' She forced herself to think it, to admit to herself. 'She's dead and I will never see her again.' Internally, she flinched. 'It's okay. Like Father said, I have a family here, a new family at home, and Kuon.' The thought of Kuon warmed her heart in a sweet, embarrassing way. 'And they all…they all love me. I am not alone, or unlovable. I have a job at LME and Moko-san and Maria and Yukihito-san.' She sighed softly, leaning her head on her mother's shoulder. 'It still hurts. She…she blamed me. For everything. She hated me.' Kyoko swallowed hard, determined to get through this. 'It wasn't my fault. I was born to a woman who didn't want me. That wasn't my fault. She didn't love me. It. Was. Not. My. Fault.' She repeated the phrase again and again.

* * *

><p>Kyoko sat in the plastic chair, staring at the tile floor. All around her, people hurried around, sipping coffee or talking on their phones in multiple languages. The well-worn magazine in her hands crinkled as she turned the page, halfheartedly reading an article about the best ways to get more sleep. She glanced around, watching the hustle and bustle around her, wondering what they were all in such a hurry about. She pulled out her phone and checked the time. It was 6 o'clock in the evening, and her stomach rumbled. She blushed a little, hoping that no one had heard, and considered finding something to eat.<p>

In the large window to her side, she could see a plane landing and wondered if Kuon was on it. It wasn't the President's private plane, but she had no idea if he always took that plane. This was one of her first times meeting him at the airport. Jack had offered to, and nearly insisted on, accompany her, but she had refused him firmly. She wanted to wait for him alone, since they had spoken about the issue at length the night before and had decided that this would be his last visit until she finished her filming. She hated that he had to keep dropping everything to come visit her, even if he said that it wasn't hurting his career at this point.

Kyoko pulled out the sheet of paper detailing her appearance in the commercial next week. The commercial was an advertisement for a store chain. Instead of having models show the clothing, they had chosen a few actresses to showcase their outfits. The filming wouldn't take but a couple of days. She was looking forward to it, and hoped that maybe she could get her name out there before the movie was released and that she would be asked to do another commercial. Her bank account slowly being built back up after the plane ticket.

She was rereading the store description when two large, warm hands covered her eyes. She reached up and touched the hands with her own, a small smile appearing at the corner of her mouth. "Hello." The English word was whispered in her ear and she shivered.

"Hello Kuon." She leaned her head back and smiled up at her blonde (thanks to a very realistic wig) haired, green-eyed boyfriend. The word made her blush a little. She was still unused to thinking of herself as 'Ren Tsuruga's girlfriend.' He leaned down and kissed her, pulling away quickly, knowing too well how she felt about such intimate behavior in public. She stood he walked around the chair, wrapping his arms around her.

"I'm so sorry." He told her gently, holding her close. "How are you doing?"

She gave a faint smile. "I'm okay. I've been focusing on work." She admitted with a shrug.

"Have you talked to your father?"

"No. Not yet." He nodded, shouldering his large bag and taking her hand. "Are you hungry?" He changed the topic. If she didn't want to talk about it, he wouldn't push her.

"Starving. Do you want me to make you something?"

He shook his head. "No, you're hungry, and I don't want you to have to wait. Let's just eat out." They headed to a cafe close by, ordered sandwiches and tea, and sat at a small table in the corner. "Are you…" He hesitated, not sure if he should be doing this. "Are you sure you don't want to talk about anything?" He asked suddenly, the worry showing in his voice. She looked up from her sandwich with tired eyes. He could tell that she was trying to shove the thoughts away, and worried that she was just burying it so that she wouldn't have to face it.

"I really don't." She mumbled.

"Okay. But please, if you want to talk to talk…I'm here. You know that, right?" She nodded and smiled genuinely.

"Thank you. So how is work going?"

"It's going well. I had a busy week in preparation for taking off this weekend, but since this is my last visit," he looked quite unhappy about this. "my schedule should be pretty much back to normal." She lifted an eyebrow and grinned.

"Normal?"

He laughed. "Normal for me." She nodded.

"So how is Yukih...Yashiro-san." She smirked.

"He doesn't care if you call him Yukihito."

"I know." She blushed a little. "I'm just getting too used to living in America. I'll have to switch back when I go home."

"He's fine, either way. Actually, your friend came by for a little visit, which I accidentally interrupted." Kyoko blushed and her eyes widened at his tone.

"Moko-san was…" She covered her face with her hands and he laughed.

"Don't tell her I told you. She would make my life miserable." She giggled.

"Poor Moko-san! You shouldn't have walked in on them!" She scolded.

"I didn't know!" He cried.

"Wait…were they…um…" She blushed even brighter and he laughed, shaking his head.

"Nothing like you were thinking. Just…well I always knock now." She smirked. "So tell me about the commercial." He rested his head in his hand and watched her eat, a sweet smile on his face.

She looked up, blushed again, and then focused on her food as she spoke. He hid a smirk. "I will be modeling a couple of outfits for a clothing store. That's all. There were about seven actresses and four actors to do the same. It's not really a big deal."

"I disagree. It will get you in the public eye, and you may get another commercial because of it."

"I hope so." She admitted softly. "That plane ticket was a lot of money, and I've been trying to build my bank account back up, or I won't have money for rent when I get back to Japan. I don't know when my next job will be unless I can resume Box R, and I don't know if the couple at the restaurant where I use to live still has my room available. If I have to get an apartment by myself, it will cost a lot more and I'll need more jobs."

"You could live with me." The suggestion was out of his mouth before he thought about it, but the stunned, half frightened look on her face made him want to swallow the words. He tried to speak, but nothing came out.

Her voice was faint when she finally remembered how to make words. "Kuon…I…I didn't…I can't…I'm so sorry but…please don't be angry." She looked up at him with pleading, frightened eyes and he grabbed her hands, leaning toward her.

"Kyoko, you don't have to apologize." He assured her, ignoring the slight wound in his heart her fearful look had inflicted. "I know how you feel about…that." He said softly. "First of all, I meant that you could live in the spare room. I'm not trying to pressure you into anything." He promised quietly, knowing that no one was sitting near enough to hear but still embarrassed and sure that she was feeling the same. "And either way, I wouldn't be angry at you for something like that." She nodded, still staring at her plate. "I'm sorry." He mumbled, obviously upset, and she smiled.

"No, don't be sorry. Thank you for the offer, and I will think about it. I was just surprised…."

"Have you contacted the couple you live with?" He wondered, changing the subject again.

"No." She mumbled, feeling horrible. She had been forced to leave them in such a hurry that she hadn't had adequate time to explain, and then after fleeing to America and the events that followed, she had never called them. "I just…I was just their tenant and I didn't want to bother them with…"

"Kyoko." His voice was dry and she looked up in surprise.

"What?"

"They were like your parents." He informed her simply. "They really cared for you and looked out for you. They barely made you pay rent, and probably would have let you stay with them for free, and you think that informing them of your whereabouts would be bothering them?"

She blanched and her face filled with guilt. "Oh no! I haven't called them or anything! They probably hate me!" She cried, dramatic tears falling down her face forming a puddle around her feet. He smiled a little.

"Kyoko." He touched her hand. "They don't hate you." He assured her. "I'm sure they would love it if you called them. I'll bet that they are worried about you." The tears disappeared and she looked up at him hopefully. "Just call them later."

Jack picked them up after a quick phone call, and Ren headed straight to his room. Kuu and Julie had insisted that he stay in his old room when he visited, and it still felt strange. He walked in and sat his bag beside the bed, hearing Kyoko walk up behind him. Turning, he found her leaning against the doorframe. He sat on the bed with a smile, opening his arms. "Come on in." He invited.

She blushed and stared at the carpet as she took a tiny step inside. He laughed and waited, leaning back on one hand. She softly shut the door and slowly made her way over to him, opting to sit on the bed beside him. He brought a hand up and traced her jaw, feeling her heat rise up in her cheeks, and leaned over to kiss her cheek. She smiled and peeked up at him as he stroked her cheek and neck, his mouth following his hand. Her turned toward her and placed a hand beside her, leaning on it, as he kissed her. "I love you." He whispered in her ear, making her shiver. "I miss you so much." She put her arms around his neck, still a little unused to having any kind of affection lavished on her, but enjoying the feeling of his mouth and hands on her. "I miss having you come over and cook for me. I miss running into you at LME. I miss working with you."

"I miss you too." She whispered as she let him continue. He pressed against her a little, wrapping an arm around her back and pushing her down, following her as they lay on the bed.

He nibbled her neck, enjoying the way she gasped and giggled when he hit a sensitive part. She massaged his back and ran her nails over his shirt gently. His hand slipped under her shirt and over her bra, and she squeaking in surprise. He took a deep breath, inhaling her scent as he squeezed her gently over her bra. She felt electricity pulse through her body as he continued squeezing her, all coherent thought slipping away. She pushed her stomach against him involuntarily, opening her mouth in surprise as his hand moved to her other breast.

"Kuon." Her voice was breathy and faint, and the man nearly moaned at the way it made him feel. Placing his lips over hers, he kissed her, entering her mouth and exploring her mouth. She moaned and placed a hand on his chest, letting it trail up and down, tracing random patterns over his shirt. He let his hand leave her chest and trailed it down her stomach, stroking her from the base of her bra to the top of her pants, not allowing himself to go any lower. She whimpered at the feeling and stroked his tongue with hers, pushing harder against him, and then entering his mouth with her tongue. He rolled them over and pulled her on half on top of him, with her chest pressing against his and her legs falling to the side. He kept her from straddling him, knowing that he wouldn't be able to control himself if she was pressed against his lower body.

Finally, after exploring his mouth with her tongue, she pulled away for breath and he laid his head back onto the pillow, pulling his hand out of her shirt and pulled the shirt down. He wrapped his arm around her and she rested her head on his shirt, grateful that he had ended the make out session before things went to far. During one of his first visits, they had sat down and had a conversation about their relationship, and (a very embarrassed) Kyoko had admitted that she didn't want to sleep with someone before she married them, and Kuon had promised her that he would respect that, something that she was grateful for. However, he sometimes seemed to push things pretty far, which she enjoyed at the time, but was usually embarrassed about later. She listened to his steady heartbeat and closed her eyes as he stroked her back.

Kuon smiled at the ceiling as he relished the feeling of holding his Kyoko. 'She has grown up so much. I miss her, but living her has done her a lot of good. She is learning to accept love and affection from people, and she is learning to love them in return. She is more confident and comfortable than she ever was before. I have my parents to thank for that. They've been teaching her all about unconditional love. I'm glad she came here.' "So how is filming going?" He asked his ceiling. She moved closer, resituating so that she was lying on her arm, and he grabbed a throw sitting on the edge of the bed, pulling it over them.

"It's going well. We are filming the last scene next week, and after that I just have to come in a few times for narration. I think there may be a few scenes they want to tweak, but we nearly done."

"Have the other actors been having any trouble?"

"No, not anymore. Halee was having a lot of trouble for a while, but I think Director Song is happy with her work now. I heard that she threatened to replace her." Kuon's eyebrows lifted but he didn't comment. It wasn't that unusual. "I am nervous about the last scene thought." She admitted quietly, and he sat up a little, holding her against him, and propped his back against the pillows. She sat up and leaned her head against his shoulder. "It's the last scene with Khan Tegus and Dashti. She marries him in the end, and…well, she has to…" She looked away and blushed a little, fearing his reaction.

"She has to what?" His voice was a little edgy and she hesitated.

"Um…she has to…kiss him." Her voice was quiet and Kuon looked down at her in surprise.

"That's it?" He lifted an eyebrow.

"Um…you aren't mad?"

He laughed a little, pulling her back to him. "Kyoko, it's your job. Of course I'm not mad. I have to kiss other women all the time." Kyoko froze as he laughed.

'He…he kisses other women all the time while acting.' The thought felt like a stake through her heart. 'Everything he just did to me…he has no trouble doing it to some other random woman.' She clenched her fists and looked away. 'I shouldn't be upset about that. It **is** his job…but…' She couldn't put the feeling into words, but it was making her heart clench.

"Kyoko, what's wrong?" He had an arm around her and was trying to peer into her face. Fear had coiled in his stomach and he could physically feel it. 'She's angry? Or hurt? What did I say?'

"Nothing." Her voice was a little faint. "I'm sorry. Nothing's wrong." She slipped out from under his arm, much to his surprise and hurt, and slipped off the bed. "You must be really tired. I'll let you get some sleep."

He sat up and started to follow her, stunned at the sudden change. "Kyoko, please?" His voice was soft and he reached out to catch her hand. "Don't be angry. What did I do?"

"Nothing." She gave him a distant smile and turned to leave. "You should get some sleep." She shut the door behind her and leaned against it with her eyes shut tightly.

* * *

><p>Kanae picked up the phone and held it to her ear. "Hello?"<p>

"Hey Moko-san."

"Hi Kyoko." Kanae smiled a little, crossing her ankles and settling into the sofa in the Love Me room. She and Yukihito had decided to keep the relationship as private as possible, which included hiding it from the President, so she was still in the Love Me department.

"Can I ask you something?" Her friend's voice sounded both irritated and distressed, and immediately Kanae was angry with Ren.

"Yea. What's the matter?"

"How would you feel if you knew that Yukihito was kissing other women." Kanae felt her world stop and pain gripped her heart.

"What?"

"I mean, say he just had to do it for work, but he was kissing other women. How would you feel?" A tear slipped down Kanae's face, making her angry. Fury filled her mind and she clenched her fist.

"Kyoko, why are you asking me this?"

"I just…wanted to know what you would say."

"I would be heartbroken and furious, and I would kill him." She snarled.

"Moko-san! What if it was just for work?"

"What! Why would he have to kiss other women for work? What did he say to you? Who was it!"

"What? Moko-san, he's not…"

"Don't lie to me!" She snapped. "He's cheating on me!"

"Moko-san! Yukihito wouldn't cheat on you! I haven't even talked to him." Her voice sounded panicked, but Kanae was too angry to care.

"I have to go." Kanae snapped the phone shut, dropped it into her purse, grabbed her coat, and stormed out of the building.

* * *

><p>Kyoko groaned and dropped the phone. 'I just wanted my friend's opinion on this…but Moko-san took it the wrong way. I hope everything is okay with Yukihito… Who can I talk to about this? I just want to know if I am being stupid…' With a deep sigh, she dialed another number.<p>

* * *

><p>Sho groaned and rolled over in bed. 'Why is the alarm going off? I'm trying to sleep.' He grabbed his phone and, instead of his alarm, was greeted by Kyoko's face. He lifted an eyebrow. She hadn't called him in a while. He pressed the answer button and held it to his ear. "Hey." He mumbled tiredly. "Do you know what time it is?" He complained.<p>

"Um…after noon?" He grinned a little at the smirk in her voice.

"What do you want?" He asked, his tone not matching his rough words.

"Can…can I ask you something?"

"If you must." He teased her, trying to lighten her serious mood.

"Sho…is it stupid of me to be…upset that R…Kuon ki…kisses other women?"

"He what!" Sho sat up, furious. "He's cheating on you? Of course you should be upset!"

"No!" Kyoko nearly groaned at her inability to explain the situation. "I mean for work. He kisses other _actresses_ while he is _acting._"

"Oh." Sho's face colored a little at his outburst. "I see." He thought for a second, then forced himself to be relatively mature. "No, it's not really stupid to be jealous…most people get jealous. But I think he really likes you." He winced at the thought. "If that is how you really feel, you should probably be talking to him about it. He seems understanding enough."

"But…he didn't get jealous when I said that I had to kiss someone for work!"

"Really? Maybe he is just more mature than you are."

Kyoko winced at her old friend's blunt tone. "Sho!"

He laughed. "I was kidding. Well, mostly." He was silent for a minute. "How did you feel when you saw him kissing another woman?" His voice was soft and serious.

"I…didn't see it. He told me because I was afraid that he would be angry that I had to do it for a scene."

"Okay. So how did you feel when he told you?"

"It hurt. I was…scared." She spoke softly and he smiled gently at the phone.

"Kyoko, I think you are more afraid of him leaving you than you are jealous." She was silent, thinking this over. "I saw the look on his face when he watched you act." Every word caused him pain, but he forced himself to say them, for her. "He's not going to let you go." As he spoke, he knew the words were true. 'He won't let her go...he obviously loves her. And I'm pretty sure she loves him too. Oh well. At least Tsuruga didn't get her.' The fact caused him some small comfort.

* * *

><p>Kuon opened his eyes a little when a beam of light filtered into the room and quickly disappeared, then felt the bed dip. Someone slipped under the covers and snuggled against him, and he smiled, pulling her close. She kissed his cheek and rested her head on the pillow beside his head. "Is everything okay?" He had to check, although he was delighted to have her seemingly back to normal.<p>

"Everything's fine." She mumbled, kissing him softly, and he fell asleep happy.

* * *

><p>Yukihito opened his front door, smiling softly down at his girlfriend. "Hey sweetheart." He greeted her in happy surprise. "What are you…" He jerked back when her hand came into contact with his face, making the whole side of his face sting.<p>

"You bastard!" She snarled, and his eyes widened. He grabbed her hand and pulled her in, looking around to make sure that no one had seen that little display, and slammed his front door, ignoring her cries of 'Get your hands off of me!' and 'I hate you!'

"What is the matter with you?" He cried, stepping back in case she decided to slap him again.

"How dare you!" She glared at him, her hands clenched into fists at her side, making it obvious that the next time she touched him it would be with her fist rather than her palm. "I cannot believe you would do this to me!" A tear escaped from her eyes, and she wiped it violently. "I should have known better! But no! I was stupid and let myself get too into this, and I have to find out from Kyoko! You don't even have the decency to just break it off and…."

He stared at her incredulously. "Kanae!" He interrupted, capturing her hands. "Have you been drinking?" Her eyes widened and she tried to jerk away, but, fearing for his life, he held her still.

"No I have not!" She cried, fighting him.

"Kanae, "I have no idea what you are talking about." He tried reasoning with her, his voice gentle. "Can you just slow down and…"

"You cheated on me!"

"What!" He let her go, shocked. "Why would you think…"

"Kyoko told me!"

"Kanae, I never cheated on you." He told her sincerely, taking her hands again. "I would never do something like that. I love you." Her eyes widened at his sincerity and she took a deep breath, realizing that she might have been too hasty. "What exactly did Kyoko say?"

"She asked me how I would feel if you kissed someone else." She told him quietly, and Yukihito's eyes widened.

"Ren is cheating on her?" It was too impossible for him to really consider.

"He'd better not be." Her eyes narrowed.

"Maybe…maybe she meant he was kissing someone for a scene, and she was upset." Yukihito reasoned, leading her over to a sofa and sitting down beside her. She touched his face, wincing at how red it was.

"I'm sorry." She mumbled. He smiled, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her lips.

"Don't worry about it. I know of a way you can make it up to me."

* * *

><p>Kyoko groaned and stretched, finding herself wrapped in blankets and Kuon's arms. His eyes were open, and he was watching her with a happy smile on his face. "I love waking up to you."<p>

Kyoko blushed a bright red and dove under the covers. He chucked and pulled them back down, revealing her red face. "Did…did you sleep well?" She asked nervously, skipping over his comment.

"Very well. You?"

"Fine." She shrugged but he caught a trace of sadness in her eyes. "I've been dreaming about her sometimes." She admitted sadly, smiling briefly when he pulled her to him. "She's always telling me…how much she hates me, and how everything is my fault."

"That's not true." He told her fiercely, and she nodded.

"I know." She sighed. "But…there's something else. The last thing she said to me was, 'You'd better watch out because once he's got what he wants from me, he'll come after you.'" She shivered, clutching his shirt in her hands, and he held her tighter.

"Who was she talking about?" He wondered, feeling a protective anger rising.

"I don't know. Hayashi-san? His father? They were the men she was trying to get a business deal with." Kuon nodded.

"I'll talk to Lory about it." He assured her. "I'll take care of you. I promise." She smiled.

"I know." She looked up at him, her eyes catching and holding his in the dim room. "I trust you."

**A/N: I'm sorry this took a while. With Christmas coming up, I am very busy! But I got another chapter done, and had a good time writing it. The story is almost over, I swear! (Well, sort of almost over...sorry if you find it boring, but I am enjoying it.) Anyway, have a Merry Christmas everyone! **


	39. The Last Time

Chapter 39: The Last Time

Kuu signed the clipboard and smiled at the delivery girl. She handed him the large box and thanked him for selecting their company, then headed back to her truck. He shut the door and, glancing around nervously, hurried up the stairs with the ungainly box, praying that Kyoko didn't catch him.

* * *

><p>Kuu looked up as his son entered the den. He smiled and sat his script down. "Hey Kuon. Did you get enough sleep?"<p>

"Eh." He yawned and sat down in a chair next to his father, resting his head on his hand, propped up by his elbow which was resting on his father's desk. "As much as I could."

"Where's Kyoko? I haven't seen her today." Kuon smirked at his pouting father. "Kuon, what were you doing to my daughter in your bedroom?" His eyes were narrow and his voice was stern. Kuon's eyes widened and his cheeks turned red.

His voice was incredulous. "Dad! Nothing like…that!"

"Mmhm. You'd better not be doing anything to my little girl."

"Dad!"

Kuu smiled a little, backing off. "Alright, where is she?"

"Taking a shower."

"Has she spoken to you about her mother?"

Kuon winced a little. "A little. She said that she has been having dreams about her, but I think she is just trying not to think about it." Kuu nodded. "Dad, can I ask you something?" His voice dropped and Kuu cocked his head.

"Of course. Is everything okay?"

"Does it…ever bother you when Mom does modeling scenes with men?" Kuu lifted an eyebrow and gave his son a questioning look. Realizing that his father wasn't going to answer the question without some type of explanation, he went on. "Kyoko was telling me that she has to do a kissing scene in the last scene of her movie. She seemed afraid that I would be upset, so I just told her that it was her job and that I have to kiss other women at work as well." Kuu winced.

"Well, I'm sure she loved that."

"Yea…I'm pretty sure she was upset."

"Kuon, as professionals, we sometimes have to do more…intimate scenes with strangers, and even friends. But that doesn't mean that it doesn't affect the people we love. Your mother and I have been married for a long time, but she still gets upset when she sees me doing scenes that involve kissing other women, and I don't blame her, but she understands that it is my job and that I love her. I feel the same way. I always feel angry when other men do modeling scenes with her and get too close for comfort, but I know that she loves me, and most importantly, I trust her." He waited for his words to sink in. "I trust that she would never be unfaithful to me, just like she trusts me. So do you trust Kyoko?" Kuon smiled softly.

"Completely."

* * *

><p>Kyoko leaned her head back and took a deep breath of hot steam, trying to wake herself up after the nap. 'I need to call Okami-san and Taisho-san soon.' She told herself, running her hands through her wet hair and blinking water out of her eyes. Rubbing the shampoo into a lather, she reached back and turned the heat up, enjoying the hot water and it ran down her body. 'I hope they aren't angry with me or, even worse, have forgotten about me.' She rinsed the shampoo out of her long brown hair and squeezed the water out of it. It was now past her shoulders and she was looking forward to cutting it again. It was a lot harder to manage now that it was so long, and it took longer to wash and dry. She stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around her head and another larger towel around her slim body. Stepping out of the bathroom, she shivered and felt the hair on her arms stand up. On her way to her dresser, she froze. Kuon sat on the bed, staring at her with wide eyes, filled with surprise and something she wasn't comfortable thinking about. "Kuon! I didn't know that you were in here." She smiled, pulling the now wet towel tighter and crossing her feet a little. His eyes started at her face and trailed down her body, and she felt her entire body get uncomfortably hot. "Um…Ku…" He stood and strode toward her purposefully, smirking a little as she grew redder and redder. When he reached her, he paused a foot in front of her and brought a hand up to the frozen girl's face. She trembled a little and he touched her shoulder, trailing his hand down her arm. She shivered when his hand went back to her shoulder and then down her back. His other arm left her face and wrapped around her, and he rested his head on the top of the towel wrapped around her head. Leaving the towel, he leaned over and kissed her cheek, then her jaw, then her neck, licking a drop of water resting there. She squeaked. "Kuon." She gasped, and he nuzzled her neck, kissed her cheek again, then pulled back and smiled at her again. This time his eyes were softer.<p>

"Have I told you how beautiful you are?"

"Um…uhuh." She nodded, blushing brightly and looking away.

"I meant today." He whispered, holding her chin and bringing her face up to look at him.

"I…um…don't think…so." She tried to look away but he held her still.

"You look absolutely stunning." He stroked her partially bare back and gripped the towel. She tensed, her entire face erupting into flames, and his eyes grew gentle. He tightened the towel and stepped back. "So stunning," he took a deep breath. "That I should probably leave." He turned and left the room quickly, nearly slamming the door behind him, and Kyoko covered her face with her hands, moaning.

'He just saw me…in a towel! And…that look on his face! So embarrassing!'

Outside, Kuon groaned. 'Living with her would NOT be a good idea.' When the doorknob turned, he quickly straightened and forced his face to take on a normal expression. He smiled a little as she emerged from her room, and he thought his heart might explode when she returned it. She wore a pair of casual jeans and a t-shirt with an American flag on the chest that hugged her curves and stopped a little short of the waistband of her jeans. Her feet were bare and he saw that her toenails were painted green with little white flowers on the two big toes. She tucked one of her feet behind the other, blushing a little under his intense stare.

'I feel like I'm still not wearing anything…the way he stares at me…' He smiled and walked over, wrapping his arms around her.

"Feel better?"

"Um…yes." It sounded like a question and he laughed quietly, letting the flustered girl go and heading down to the living room with Kyoko trailing behind him. "Is Father home?" She wondered.

"Yes. I just talked to him."

"Oh. What about Mother?"

"Mom is still at work. She has another one of her shoots coming up soon."

"Oh." Her voice was sad and he could sympathize.

"I always hated it when she left too." He wrapped and arm around his girlfriend as they entered the living room where Kuu had a phone pressed to his ear. "I missed her so much when she was at a shoot for a week or two at a time. One time, she was gone for a whole month." Kyoko's eyes dimmed and he realized this must be hitting too close to her own maternal issues and squeezed her shoulders.

"I know. When my mom…" She flinched a little but he gave her an encouraging look. "When she would leave me with the Fuwas…for such a long time…and then she didn't come back…" Kyoko shook her head firmly. "That's why I would never want children." Kuon's eyes widened.

"You…you don't?" He tried to keep his voice curious and failed miserably.

"No." Her voice went cold. "I would never know how to love a child. And with my job…I could never leave my child alone like that. It wouldn't be fair." Kuu had hung up the phone and was looking at her sadly. Kuon took her hand and sighed.

"Hey sweetheart." Kuu opened his arms and she smiled, slipping away from her tall boyfriend and hugging her father.

"Hello Father. How was work?" She asked politely. He grinned.

"It was great. How was yours?"

"Good." He nodded and Kuon settled onto the couch next to them.

"You know…" Kuu leaned back and shifted, obviously about to make a lengthy speech. Kuon rolled his eyes and prayed that it didn't involve him. "the happiest day of my life was the day my beloved son was born." Kuon groaned and Kyoko giggled.

"Father, it's fine. I don't really want to talk about that. I just don't think that I would be a good mother. It's not…"

"We aren't talking about you, Kyoko." Their father scolded, crossing his arms. "I'm talking about my son. Now, I happen to have pictures of the event." He pulled out a thick album from under the coffee table and Kuon's eyes widened.

"Father, please don't tell me that you are going to…"

"Look at his little cheeks! Isn't he adorable! Couldn't get the boy to wear clothes until he was six years old!" Kyoko laughed out loud and Kuon felt his face erupt in flames. He buried it in his hands.

* * *

><p>When Kuu had tortured his son enough, he decided to bring out his daughter's surprise. Reaching under the coffee table, he pulled out the large box and lifted a book out. "Well, it's your turn Kyoko." He smiled at Kyoko's puzzled expression, which mirrored his son's. He opened the cover and revealed the names 'Kyoko.' Kyoko's eyes widened and she gasped.<p>

"Father! How did you…"

"Well, I called Lory and asked him to give me Sho's number so that I could talk to his parents. I explained the situation with your family and they agreed to send your old things to Kyouta. He should be over there either today or tomorrow. But they thought that you might like to have some of your things here." She reached out and touched the book, then scooted closer. Curious, Kuon did the same, placing an arm around the back of the couch and resting it on her shoulder. Kuu flipped a page and Kyoko's birth certificate. Kyoko reached over and touched the laminated page, tracing her name hesitantly. She pulled away and Kuu turned the page, revealing photos of a small baby in tall woman's arms. She was smiling softly at the camera, cuddling the baby to her chest. Kyoko's eyes widened.

Kuu continued to flip through the pages. The first were of her being held by her mother or Sho's mother. Occasionally she would point out certain people or places to her father and Kuon, explaining that her mother lived in Kyoto with the Fuwas ore and more as the years went on. Kuu flipped a page and suddenly Kyoko was about six years old, standing beside a young boy with dark brown hair. Both smiled at the camera, but the little girl seemed sad.

"This is right after my mom left." She told them quietly. "Fuwa-san told me that we should take family pictures because she wanted to welcome me to the home. I guess she only added this one." Kuu flipped a few more pages and school photos began to appear. Kuon smiled at these, stopping his father and leaning over her to see. She laughed and blushed at a couple of the photos. "This one is horrible!" She cried, hiding it from them. Kuon laughed and moved her hand.

"You always look beautiful." He told her sincerely, moving her hand and holding it. Kuu laughed.

"He's right. All of your photos are good."

"But I had a huge stain on that uniform! And I was barely smiling. I think I was looking at something one of my classmates was doing." Kuu grinned and turned the pages. Occasionally, Kyoko in a kimono would show up, and some of the last pictures were of her, dressed in long, beautiful kimonos with her long black hair pulled away from her face. She was smiling serenely and Kuon's breath caught. He remembered the first time he had seen her in a kimono, when she had been doing an assignment for the actress starring with him. She had come out of the dressing room and, disliking her as much as he did, he had been unable to look away.

'My thoughts of what a Japanese girl should be…it has always been her.' He watched as his father placed the book aside and placed the box in her lap. She smiled softly and began pulling small things out. Books filled with children's fairy tales, a soft teddy bear, and a picture frame with a picture of Kyoko as a little girl standing beside her mother, both looking stiff in their formal attire, were the main items in the box, along with a small baby blanket. Kuu fingered the material and smiled at her and Kuon, who were flipping idly through the storybook.

* * *

><p>Kyoko placed the box in her room and sat on her bed, fingering her phone. Kuon had gone to his own room to let her make the phone call, and she pressed the numbers, feeling the nerves build in her stomach. They had been like her family, and she had never even told them what had happened to her or where she was going. Holding the phone to her ear, she waited anxiously. "Hello?" The deep voice's Japanese greeting made her heart jump and she took a deep breath.<p>

"Hello. Taisho-san…it's Mogami Kyoko." Her voice was soft and tentative, and she heard a soft gasp.

"Ky…Kyoko-chan?" His voice was soft and surprised.

"Um…yes. I'm very sorry for not contacting you earlier. I just…I had to leave Japan and…"

"Are you okay?" His voice was clipped, but she could hear worry in it, and it made her heart clench.

"I'm fine. I'm so sorry for worrying you." She told him softly.

There was silence on the other end and suddenly another voice greeted her. "Hello? I'm sorry. My husband just handed me the phone…"

"Okami-san? It's Mogami Kyoko. I'm very sorry not to have…"

"Kyoko-chan! It is so good to hear from you. I've miss you so much! Is everything okay?"

"Yes. I am sorry that I haven't contacted you. I had to leave Japan, and…well I won't be back until I finish filming. But I was wondering if I could resume living in my old room…"

* * *

><p>Kuu glanced up from his script to find his son doing the same. Both men smiled. "So how is work going?" Kuu shifted against the couch and sat his<p>

"Pretty well." Kuon followed his father's example and laid the script on the couch beside him. "I'm just reviewing a new project that Yashiro-san gave me yesterday."

"Ah. How is he doing?"

"He's good. He's dating Kyoko's friend, Kotonami-san."

"The woman who came here to visit her? Hmm. She seems…nice."

Kuon laughed. "She's a unique woman, but she loves Kyoko, and I'm pretty sure she loves Yashiro too."

"Why didn't they come and visit?"

"Kotonami-san is filming this weekend, and I thought Yashiro would like to go with her. He isn't a huge fan of flying anyway. But I think Kotonami-san wants to visit Kyoko soon."  
>"Hm. She's welcome any time." Kuu informed him with an easy smile.<p>

"Dad…what did the Fuwas say?" Kuon asked suddenly. He couldn't help but be curious, but hadn't wanted to ask with Kyoko around.  
>Kuu's eyes turned serious. "They said exactly what I told you they said."<p>

"But…I mean how did they react when you told them what happened?"  
>"They sounded angry. They had apparently been rather estranged from their old friend and didn't appreciate her committing suicide in their nicest room." Kuon could tell from his father's cold eyes just how the man felt about that woman.<p>

"What did they say about Kyoko?"

"They wondered if she planned on visiting them, and asked why she wasn't living with their son. The woman sounded rather disappointed when I hinted that Kyoko had found someone here in America. She still had hopes that Kyoko would marry her son."

"Are you going to tell Kyoko that they want her to visit?" Kuu cast his eyes to the carpet.

"Kuon, I'm not telling Kyoko anything about the Fuwas. From the sound of it, it seems like all they wanted her for was a companion for their son. They didn't seem particularly worried about her, despite the fact that her mother just died. I don't think it will be good for her to talk to those people right now." Kuon nodded, understanding his father's frustration.

* * *

><p>A few minutes later two arms appeared around his father's neck and they looked up to smile at the young girl. Her eyes were red rimmed but sparkling with happiness. "They were so happy to hear from me." She informed them joyfully. "They told me that went I return, they will have my old room ready for me." Kuu turned and pulled her over the back of the couch and she laughed as she landed against his side. Pulling away, she sat beside him and he beamed at her.<p>

"That's great." He told her sincerely. "That means that you wont have to find another place, and the rent will be cheaper, right?"

"Yes. So if I don't get any jobs right away, I'll be okay for a while." Kuu looked up at his son who was rolling his eyes.

"Kyoko, after this movie premiers, you aren't going to have any trouble getting a job."

* * *

><p>Kuon spent the weekend with Kyoko, but on Sunday evening had to return. Since it was late, he insisted on saying goodbye at their house. He entered her room when all of his things were packed and sat on the bed beside his unresponsive girlfriend. "Are you sure you don't want me to keep coming."<p>

"Kuon, you can't keep taking the weekend off. Even if it doesn't affect your popularity or career now, you have to work twice as hard during the week, and that's not fair to you." Kuon cupped her cheek and she looked up at him.

"It's all worth it when I get to see you, though." She smirked and rolled her eyes. Kuon laughed. "I love you." He told her quietly, glancing at the door to make sure that it was closed.

"I love you too." He smiled and kissed her cheek.

"I'm going to miss you."

"We'll still talk on the phone." She told him, looking up at him with a surprised face.

"It's not the same as being with you." She knew what he meant. Talking on the phone was nice, and she was glad that they were able to do so often, but it couldn't compare with being with him, with touching him, with kissing him. He pressed his lips on hers and she closed her eyes, relishing in the feeling. Kissing still felt like a foreign concept to her, something she just couldn't get used to. It made her stomach ache in a funny, burning way she couldn't describe and his hands, which ran down her body over her clothing, sometimes slipping under her shirt and onto her bra, didn't help. It made her embarrassed, but she was too happy to care.

When he pressed her down onto the bed, holding her against his side, she wanted to beg him never to leave, but the rational part of her mind, which was quickly fleeing, told her that his career was important, and that he would be miserable if he had to give it up, no matter what he said about wanting to stay with her. She opened her eyes and her cheeks burned when she met his narrow green eyes with her own. His tongue entered her mouth and he ran his hand over her bottom, staring into her eyes. She brought an arm up and stroked his chest slowly, making him moan into her mouth. Reluctantly, she pulled away, putting distance between them. "You have to leave." She reminded him softly. "You were saying goodbye."

"Oh yea." He kissed her again, this time making it short and sweet.

"Kuon…"

"Hmm?"

"She threw her arms around him, pulling him back, much to his surprise. I'm going to miss you so much." She whispered. "I can't wait to come home." He stroked her back.

"I know. I'll miss you too. I'll see you soon, though. Goodbye."

"Bye." She watched him straighten and leave, grabbing his bag on the way out. She didn't move from the bed, instead listening as he walked down the stairs, shut the front door, and finally slammed the car door. Her eyes closed as she realized that she already missed him. 'This gets harder and harder every time he leaves me.' She though sadly, then clenched her fists. 'But I can't let that distract me. I have a job to finish, and I'm going to give it my all.'

**A/N: I swear we are almost done. lol. I am not trying to draw things out! Anyway, let me know what you think of this. I hope you are still enjoying the story. **


	40. Surely You Knew This Was Coming

**A/N: 2 chapters, 1 night, and CUE REINO! :D**

Chapter 40: Surely You Knew This Was Coming

(or I Can't Believe This Story Is 40 Chapters Long…And I'm Still Not Done)

'I can't believe this! I almost made it an entire eight months in America without running into him, and he shows up now! Ugh! What is his problem! Doesn't he have anything better to do than to stalk me!' The silver haired man grinned at her from across the set as if he could hear her thoughts. (He couldn't of course. He could just see the grudges floating around her and could guess what she was thinking.) He finished up his non-conversation with the woman standing in front of him, which had involved lots of squealing and touching on her part and a lot of anger management on his, by abruptly walking away and strode over to his favorite little friend who he had instantly recognized despite the long brown hair and green contacts.

"Well well, I wasn't expecting to see you here." Kyoko, still in her street clothes due to a delay in filming, glared at the silver haired man.

"Stay away from me, you demon dog!" She snarled. The assistant director, who was standing nearby, looked up in surprise, but didn't intervene. The girl caught him looking. "What could you possibly need the Beagle to do?" She cried. The man cocked his head in confusion.

"Beagle? We don't have any dogs on set Miss Rosa." He informed her patiently, used to these strange actresses and actors that the director he usually worked with tended to hire.

"She means me." Reino informed him with a rueful smile.

"Oh. Reino is here to model some of the more…nontraditional clothing, to show that the store carries many types and styles and to attract different types of customers." He informed her simply. "They won't need you two for another twenty minutes or so though, so you can relax."

"How can anyone relax with the Beagle from Hell over here!" She cried in a voice that made the man shiver and edge away, making a mental note to stay away from the beautiful, if insane, woman. "Why are you here? Don't you have anything better to do than to follow me around like this?"

"For your information, I was hired several weeks ago. But this is a pleasant surprise." The look in his eyes made her lip curl in disgust and she abruptly pulled out her phone. "What are you doing?" He asked the girl's back in amusement.

"Calling Ren." She told him shortly.

"I was under the impression that you guard dog was in Japan, where he belongs."

"Ren is in Japan." She snapped. "But he got angry the last time I didn't tell him that you were following me around, and I have to desire to have a repeat of that incident. So stay away from…Hello Yashiro-san." She chirped, and Reino chucked in amazement at the instant change in her attitude.

"Hello Kyoko-chan. I'm sorry. Ren's filming right now."

"At six in the morning!" She cried.

"Unfortunately. But he's almost done."

"Can you just tell him that my current job involves working with a stupid beagle?" Reino rolled his eyes at the apparently random nickname that the girl refused to drop.

"Um…sure…." He spoke slowly.

"Thank you. Please have a nice day."

* * *

><p>Ren stepped off the set and stifled a yawn. "Did I miss a call?" He wondered, then covered his mouth when the yawn escaped.<p>

"Um…yes." He handed Ren the phone, then pulled the latex gloves off of his hands and dropped them in his bag. "She told me to tell you that her current job involves working with a stupid beagle." His tone made it apparent that he thought this was strange, but the amused look disappeared when Ren's face turned dangerous and he pressed a button, not bothering with a reply.

* * *

><p>Kyoko looked up from her chair. "Will you stop staring at me?" She snapped and he smirked.<p>

"Can't help it." She rolled her eyes, then returned them to the actors currently on set, trying to figure out the style of the director.

'If I didn't know any better, I'd say he was trying to flirt with me. But why?' Before she could give the matter any more thought, her phone vibrated. She checked the name, smiled softly, missing the gasp from the other chair, then flipped her phone open. "Hey."

"Kyoko! Are you okay? Did he do anything to you?"

The panic in his voice made her feel bad. "Everything is fine." She promised him. "The stupid dog is just being annoying. He hasn't done anything to me, I swear."

"Kyoko, I don't want you doing that job with him. He's dangerous."

She smiled a little at his concerned tone. "Ren." She spoke his name softly. "It is just a commercial. After this I won't be anywhere near him."

There was an unconvinced pause. "Who's picking you up?"

"Father."

"What time."

"As soon as I call him and tell him that it is over." She glared at the man who suddenly sat up and rested his chin on his fist, unabashedly listening to her conversation. "Kuon don't worry. I'm fine. There are lots of people here and he can't do anything to me." The smirk on the other man's face made her want to smack him, but she only clenched the phone tighter.

"What? Does he not believe me? Should I talk to him?" Reino came to stand next to her and caught the wrist of the arm holding the phone as she started to move away.

"Get your hands off me you stupid dog!" She shouted, slamming a heel down on his foot and jerking away. On the other line, Ren felt the blood drain from his face, fear taking over, then Kuon clenched his fist.

"Hello boyfriend." The man's deep, amused voice made his jaw clench.

"You listen to me you d*** dog, if you do anything to her…"

"You'll what?" The man was laughing.

"I'll come down there and kill you myself, that's what I'll do!" Ren shouted angrily, ignoring the stunned look Yashiro was giving him. The manager hurriedly shut the door, not wanting anyone to see his client like this, and remained on the other side of the room as the actor proceeded to use the most colorful threatening language Yashiro had ever heard.

'Why is he angry at a dog? What on earth is going on with Kyoko? Is she afraid of dogs? She didn't sound afraid earlier on the phone.'

* * *

><p>Kyoko rolled her eyes and settled back into a chair, closing her eyes as her boyfriend's furious voice echoed through the small sitting area where, fortunately, only she and Reino were waiting. 'Okay, I have to be Rosa, now more than ever. If I am going to work with this idiot, I am going to have to be the epitome of a professional.' She opened her bright green eyes slowly and casually observed the silver haired man as he egged the already angry man on.<p>

"Excuse me." Her voice took on a slightly annoyed quality, but the smile was one she had learned from the best. "I'll need you to give me my phone back now." Without waiting, she reached out and took it, pressing it against her ear, and arched an eyebrow at the angry words still being shouted. "I beg your pardon, but I'm going to have to interrupt you there." The stunned silence made her smile a little. "Ren, I need to get ready for the filming, so I'm going to have to call you back. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

Knowing immediately that he wasn't speaking to his girlfriend, he took a deep breath, finally noticing his manager watching him nervously from across the room. "Of course. Goodbye."

"Goodbye."

Yashiro watched him warily as he shut the phone. "Is Kyoko afraid of dogs?" He blurted, earning a laugh from Ren.

"No. But that one had better be afraid of me."

* * *

><p>Kyoko slipped the tight black top over her head and pulled the tiny black skirt up. Most of her chest, stomach, back, and legs were on display, but Rosa couldn't care less. It was her job, and she would do whatever was requested of her. Kyoko, on the other hand, hid her beet red face in an imaginary corner tucked deep in the back of Rosa's mind. Reino's eyes feasted on her when she stepped out, paying particular attention to her chest, but she only sauntered past him and up to the set.<p>

Reino himself was dressed in similar attire, with tight black clothing being the main theme. His pants were so tight that even Rosa blushed a little and looked away. "Curious?" He whispered in her ear with a cruel smirk, but she only gave him a disgusted look.

"Repulsed." She answered coldly, turning away and giving the director her attention. The instructions were simple. He wanted intimate poses. Kyoko nearly ran. Rosa only nodded, stepping closer to Reino as the filming began. He immediately took the chance to wrap his arms around her waist and press against her. She bit her lip, fighting the desire to jerk away, then wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled up at him seductively. He grinned and leaned down like he was going to kiss her, so she turned her head at the last minute and gave the camera a sultry smile, suppressing a shiver when his lips touched her neck. It was nothing like Ren's kisses, she couldn't help but think. When Ren touched her, she felt warm and safe. When this creep touched her, she wanted to throw up. But she did what she had been hired to do; act.

When the director called cut, she stepped away from him quickly, then headed to her dressing room and sat down, shivering a little. She wasn't afraid of the Beagle. He had ceased to be frightening to her a long time ago, but she wasn't fond of his hands and…other body parts touching her. It made her feel…dirty. Sighing, she grabbed a bottle of water and chugged it, slipped out of the slutty outfit, then changed into a short black dress. 'Why did they hire me to do all the prostitute outfits?'

The next scene was more formal than intimate, and involved Kyoko in the short but somehow tasteful black dress, accessorized with silver earrings and a matching necklace, and tall heels, and Reino in a strange black jacket made of shredded, see through material and boots, standing together as though they were posing for a photograph. Then the director had them sit at a table together, and then leaning against a limonene. When asked why they were doing so many poses, the director told them that he would be choosing the ones that suited the overall look the best. Kyoko wondered why they hadn't figured that out earlier, but decided not to ask. Rosa did as she was told.

* * *

><p>When they broke for lunch, Kyoko grabbed a bento and went directly to her dressing room, eager to avoid a certain dog. The opening of her dressing room door informed her that she had been unsuccessful. "What do you want?" She wondered idly.<p>

"I was just wondering why you were eating alone." He gave her a cool smile and she nearly laughed at his attempt, unable to stop from comparing it to Ren's.

"To get away from you."

"Aw come on." He leaned back, propping his boots on the table, which she shoved off with her own feet and then delivered a warning glare. "Why do you hate me so much?" He asked in a pitiful voice.

"You. Are. A. Stalker." She told him in slow, direct English. "You stalk me for fun. You assaulted me, them made sure that I couldn't tell anyone. Then you tried to tell people! You tried to steal my most treasured possession. You forced me to make you valentine chocolate… which you never even ate! Why wouldn't I hate you?"

"Well I haven't done anything lately."

"Yea…why is that?" She asked shortly.

"Because I find you intriguing. I just can't stay away from you." He expected her to be flustered, but she only cocked an eyebrow.

"That's not really an answer. Was it supposed to be a compliment?" She asked coolly. "Because I have a boyfriend."

"Does Rosa or does Kyoko?" He asked, leaning in. She scooted away, irritated and, for the first time, realizing that she was alone with this man in her dressing room.

"Both. Now get out."

"I'm sure that Rosa doesn't have a boyfriend. She's too uptight for that. But I'll bet I can…" The door slammed open and a giant grabbed Reino by the caller and shoved him against the wall.

"What do you think you are doing to my daughter?" He asked in a low, murderous voice.

Reino's eyes widened, then he smirked. "Ah. The murderer's father." He flinched when Kuu's hands shifted closer to his throat.

"I catch you trying to threaten my daughter, and now you're talking about my son…you aren't very smart, are you?"

Kyoko hid a smile. 'Kuon called him.' She stood and placed a gentle hand on her father's arm. "Father, we still have filming to do. You can't kill him yet."

"Are you okay? Did he do anything to you?" Kuu kept his eyes on the silver haired musician.

"I'm fine. He isn't really dangerous, just an idiot." She rolled her eyes. "He probably just wanted to make me mad."

"Kyoko! You can't assume that." He drug the man over to the door, threw him down the short staircase and onto the ground, and shut the door. "That was careless of you, Kyoko, being alone with him."

"He wasn't going to do anything." Kyoko told her father with a firm smile. Kuu shook his head and gripped her shoulders.

"Kyoko, what if he did? He's bigger than you. You wouldn't be able to stop him." She looked down, more upset that she had worried her father than that she had been alone with the idiot Beagle from Hell. "I'm going to stay for the rest of the filming."

"I'm sorry." She whispered, her shoulders slumping, and he was quick to wrap his arms around her.

"I'm not angry. I was worried about you. Now come on. Lunch is over. Are you almost finished for the day?"

"We only have one scene left."

* * *

><p>The once scene was similar to the first, only with slightly skimpier clothing, more accessories, which included multiple face piercings, and hooker boots for Kyoko. 'What kind of clothing store is this.' She wondered irritably as she placed the lip ring on her lip and tried to pull her top so that it covered at least some of her chest. When she emerged from her dressing room, Kuu's eyes widened, then narrowed as he turned to glare at both the director and Reino, both of who were openly staring and nearly drooling. Kuu, pouting at the outfit his little girl had to wear and his inability to do anything about it, dropped into a chair and watched the silver haired demon put his hands on his daughter again. He watched in mute horror as the man pressed against her, ran his hands over her bare back and stomach, and even kissed her a few times. When the director called cut, he stormed onto the set, unbuttoned his suit jacket, threw it over his daughter's shoulders, and pulled her away into the dressing room. He noticed her shaking slightly and hugged her tightly. "Are you okay?" He asked quietly.<p>

"I'm fine. Sorry." She tried to stop her body's disgusted and somewhat fearful reaction to the Beagle's touch, but couldn't quite stop shaking. "I'm sorry. I just...really hate doing those kinds of scenes." Kuu nodded while stroking her back, still angry at both the young man for being so intimate with his daughter and with the director for demanding it.

Reino stared lustfully at her dressing room door from a distance and wondered why the one interesting girl he knew had to have two rather fierce guard dogs.

* * *

><p>Hayashi-san skimmed the piece of paper. His son paced the floor, glaring at him occasionally. "I don't want to marry her, Father. Just let it go."<p>

"I don't care what you want." His father said dryly. "Saena made a deal, a deal that her daughter would wed you."

"I don't want to marry her if she is so opposed to the idea that she runs off to America!"

"Look. She made a deal with us, and if that little girl thinks that she can get away from me and break the deal just because her mother died, she has another thing coming."

"What? Are you telling me that you are only doing this to get back at a seventeen year old girl?" He slammed his hands on the table. "You are insane." His eyes narrowed and met his father's. "I don't want anything to do with this. Besides, you can't even get to her. She is in America. With a very powerful family from the looks of it. There are rumors that she is dating Tsuruga Ren. There's no way he's going to let you get near her."

"Well, I happen to have a bit of information on Tsuruga Ren and the family she is living with." The older man smirked. "It seems that there is quite a connection there…one the actor won't want made public."

"So what? You're going to blackmail the actor into giving us his girlfriend? That's insane?"

"No. I'm going to give the girl a choice."

"I have no idea what you are talking about, but even if this stupid scheme works, I'm not marrying the girl!"

"You will marry her." He stood angrily, staring his son down. "And we are going to show that little brat that she cannot break a deal with our family!"

"You are absolutely insane." He mumbled, shaking his head and leaving the room.

* * *

><p>"I know who you are, Hizuri-san." Ren stared at the phone in confusion.<p>

"Who is this?" He wondered, more irritated than worried. "You have the wrong number.

"Look, Tsuruga-san, I know who you are." The voice was tired rather than malicious.

"What are you talking about."

"My name is Hayashi Sachio. I'm the man your girlfriend was supposed to marry."

Ren paused, wondering if denying this was going to do him any good. "What do you want?"

"To warn you."

"About what?" He asked warily.

"About my father. He wants Kyoko-san."

"Why?" Ren suppressed the fear and forced himself to focus.

"Some revenge plot. Who knows? The man is insane. He's going to tell her that he knows who you are, and I think he's going to make her come to him in exchange for keeping the secret. I was looking through his papers and found your name and a pretty thick file on you, so he definitely knows. I have no idea what he is going to do to her…but I'm not going to marry her."

Kuon was silent, thinking. "What will he do if she refuses to go to him?"

"He's going to go public with the information."

'Well that figures.' Kuon pinched the bridge of his nose. 'Between her and my secret, it's no contest. I'm not letting him near her.'

* * *

><p>Lory listened carefully to his friend's son's plight. "Just marry her, Kuon. Maybe he'll leave her alone then."<p>

"Have you actually met Kyoko?" Kuon asked in a dry voice. Lory laughed. Neither man was particularly worried about Kyoko. She was safe with her father in America, and after being informed of the situation, Kuu was keeping an extra close eye on her. Kyoko had been informed as well, and had been given strict instructions not to answer her phone if it was an unfamiliar number or to go anywhere alone. Kuu reinforced these rules with the utmost care. Lory thought for a while.

"I assume you don't want to announce your real identity."

"If it comes down to it, I can. That would take away any ammunition he has against us. But I'd honestly rather not."

"Well, we can figure out something. I'll let you know if i come up with anything."

* * *

><p>Kyouta entered his house, slipped his shoes off, and froze. The place was a mess. Frowning, he walked into the kitchen, stepping over pots and pans and a large puddle of soup on the floor. "Kuri? What happened?" He called, looking into the living room. Seeing no one, he walked into the hallway. "Kuri?" A piece of paper taped to her door caught his attention. With growing dread, he grabbed it.<p>

'If I can't have Kyoko, her sister will have to do.'

**A/N: This was a cliff hanger for the sole reason that I am exhausted. I hope you liked it. Let me know what you think if you want. :)**


	41. A Funeral

**A/N: I have a problem. I start a chapter...and can't stop until I'm done. So it's 2:30 and I'm exhausted...but I finished another chapter.** ** Please be forgiving of spelling errors, grammar errors, and...zzzzzzz**

Chapter 41: A Funeral

Lory drummed his fingers on the desk, guilt and irritation building in his stomach. 'I can't believe I made such a stupid mistake. Why didn't I at least warn Kyouta about the threats! Just because the man is an idiot doesn't make him harmless. '

Kyouta sat across from the man with fury in his eyes. "Takarada-san?" His voice was dangerous. "What are you going to do about this?" The panicking man had called Lory immediately, and after the explanation given by the eccentric man, had rushed to Tokyo. Now he alternated between pacing and glaring at the man who had failed to warn him about such a serious threat. "They have my daughter. Why haven't we gone to the police!"

"If we go to the police, certain bits of important information will be made public." Lory told him, frustration leaking out.

"What information?" He snapped.

"Information about the past of a certain actor."  
>"I could care less about your stupid actor!" He thundered. "That man had my daughter!"<p>

"President?" Kuon pushed the door open, then shut it behind him quickly. "What happened? Is everything okay? Yashiro-san just gave my your message."

"What's going on? What's he doing here?" Kyouta pointed at the tall actor and stared at the President.

"As you might have guessed Tanaka-san, Tsuruga Ren, the man your older daughter is dating, is also the son of Kuu Hizuri." Kyouta nodded, though the information didn't really matter to him. "Well, we are trying to keep that a secret. Ren has been keeping his true identity a secret for quite some time, and we don't want to reveal it."

Kyouta turned to the actor. "Yea, well is it more important than the safety of my daughter?" He cried, making Ren's eyes widen.

"What?" Immediately his thoughts went to Kyoko's safety.

"Hayashi-san kidnapped Kuri." Lory informed him in a tired voice.

"What! President, why haven't you gone to the police!" Ren cried, fear for the younger girl seizing his heart.

"Because if we do, your secret is out."

More fear, fear for himself, flooded his system. 'I can't believe I'm this afraid.' He clenched his hands. "My identity is not more important than Tanaka-san or his daughter." Kuon told him softly. Lory nodded with a sigh. Without a word, Kuon left the room, grabbed his phone, and dialed his manager.

"Hello."

"Hey Yashiro. I need you to help me out with something."

"Um…of course. What do you need?"

"We have to arrange a funeral."

There was a stunned pause, then the man spoke in an incredulous voice. "Who's funeral?"

"Mine."

* * *

><p>Kyoko groaned as her phone chimed, dragging her from her sleep. "Mnhm." She mumbled, grabbing her phone and checking the name. Blinking a few times, she pressed the answer button and held it to her ear. "Time difference, Kuon." She grumbled, and she heard a soft, apologetic chuckle.<p>

"I know. I'm sorry. But this is important. I needed to tell you before it happens."

"Um…okay."

"Hayashi-san has your sister." Kyoko bolted upright, suddenly awake.

"Oh God…oh no oh no…is she…did they find….Oh Kuon!" She gasped and he was quick to try and calm her down.

"Shh. It's okay. We've called the police. She's going to be fine."

"Kuon…it's my fault." She cried in in agonizing voice. "I didn't warn my father….he's going to blame me! He'll hate me!" She whimpered, a tear falling down her cheek.

"No." His voice was stern and pleading at the same time. "Kyoko, this is not your fault. We all messed up. The President is going to take care of it. Tanaka-san doesn't blame you at all." She sniffed. "But that's where I come in. If we go to the police, he's going to reveal my name and my past. And he knows a lot."

"But…Oh Kuon I'm so sorry." She whispered, feeling the guilt that threated to strangle her. "If you weren't dating me, he would never try to blackmail you." She whispered painfully. "I'm so so sorry."

"Kyoko, I don't even want to think about where I would be right now if I wasn't dating you." The agony in his voice made her blink. "I love you so much, and I don't mind doing this for you and for your family. It had to come out some time."

"So…what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to do what my father did." There was a strange determination in his voice. "I'm going to kill off Ren Tsuruga." The word were like a cold knife in her chest, although she knew what he meant.

"A funeral…for your stage name?"

"And the unveiling of my real name."

"If you are doing what your father did…are you going to go back to America?"

There was a gentle smile in his voice. "No. I still have work here. My manager is here. I'm not the same person as my father, and I don't have to do exactly as he did. Japan is my home now, although I plan on visiting my parents more. Besides, you live in Japan." She could hear the love in his voice and it made her blush.

"I'm proud of you." She spoke so quietly that she wondered if he could hear her. "You are so brave to do this, to take back your old name and face your past in front of the entire country."

Her words were like a balm for his scarred heart, and he closed his eyes, letting them wash over him. If there had been any doubts before, they were gone now, and he had her to thank.

"I love you." He told her softly. "As long as I have you, everything else is irrelevant."

The conviction in his voice surprised and soothed her. 'He really does love me. Somehow, I don't think that he is going to tire of me.' "I love you too."

"I'm sorry to wake you. Get some sleep. Goodnight."

"Good luck, Kuon."

* * *

><p>The lavish ballroom, located in the President's mansion, in the tradition of all rooms in which funerals must be held, was made ugly forthwith. Drab love seats, covered in dull yellow material decorated with off red flowers were placed on the sidelines, although only the elderly would sit on them. Rows of cushioned metal chairs filled the center, with a closed casket surrounded by flowers sat at the front. The name Ren Tsuruga was written in fancy lettering on a large white board. Framed pictures of the actor were placed around the room, mostly from movie posters and pictures taken on set, but there also a couple of surprising ones. One showed the actor holding the President's granddaughter in his arms, listening to her talk with a gentle, happy expression. Another showed him and Yashiro Yukihito lounging in a waiting room, chatting about something. The most surprising was of him and the young actress Kyoko who had disappeared months ago. He was looking down at her with a gentle smile and she was laughing. This one got the most attention. It was an American style funeral for an American man, though no one knew it.<p>

The invitations had been sent out, food delivered, and flowers placed all around the room, which was crowded with stunned people who had received the invitations, a few carefully selected members of the press, and the actors who had been privileged enough to work with the great man. Echoes of 'such a wonderful actor, and such a kind man,' and 'so young' were heard through the room. Lory, dressed in a somber suit, and little Maria (who had been informed by Kuon himself of what was going on so as not to upset her) stood near him in a black dress. Kyouta showed up as well, though he was too worried about his little girl to play along. A few people nibbled at the large buffet, but most were staring at the closed casket at the front of the room.

Behind the stage in a small room, Kuon Hizuri paced. And paced. And then he stopped…and then paced again. He took a deep breath, remembered why he was doing this, and thought of Kyoko, of his family, and of Kyoko's family. If things went the way he planned, they would all be one family in the near future…but he didn't want to think about that just yet. There was a whole different set of nerves that went along with that.

He peeked out from the crack in the door. The guests were taking their seats, and Lory sat alone in the front row. Kuon took a deep breath and waited. Lory stood and walked to the front of the room, stepped onto the stage, and cleared his throat. "Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to thank you on behalf of LME and myself for coming today. As you all know, Tsuruga Ren was the number one actor in Japan, and a close friend of my family. " Kuon stopped listening for a second, leaning against the wall and remembering his conversation with Kyoko.

Lory offered a small smile as a couple of people ducked in, obviously trying not to draw attention to themselves, and went on. "Now, the first speak." He turned and gave the crack in the wall an encouraging smile, and there were soft gasps as a tall blonde haired, green-eyed man stepped onto the stage. Kuon shook Lory's hand and smiled at his boss.

"Thank you." He said quietly, and Lory nodded, hurrying down to take his seat next to the people who had taken the only available seats in the front row. Kuon stared at the crowd, skimming the group of people there, skipping Lory's row. "Thank you for coming." The deep familiar voice washed over the stunned crowd, and there were whispers. "I am here to lay to rest the man, Tsuruga Ren, and to introduce myself, Hizuri Kuon." Immediately flashes went off and people began speaking. He held up a hand and they quieted down, though reporters were now scribbling and video cameras were still rolling. "I left America as a teenager to make a name for myself in Japan. This was partially due to the death of a close friend." He sighed. "I wanted to make myself into a new person, to find myself through acting, and I wish to continue to do so, but using my given name." Immediately reporters began firing questions at him, but he held his hand up again. "I don't mind answering a few questions for the press, since this is why you were invited…" He broke off when he realized that Lory's row was no longer empty. The nerves, which had caused him to skip over the people sitting next to him, vanished and, with a soft, surprised smile, he took a few steps forward.

"But first, I would like to introduce everyone to my family." He gestured and two of the people stood and hurried to join their son on stage. "My father, Hizuri Kuu." The men hugged and Kuu bowed to the audience. "And my mother, Hizuri Julie." She hugged her son, kissing his cheek, and stood beside her husband. Kuon smiled brightly at the other person. "And my other surprise gift, my girlfriend, actress Kyoko." There were gasps and questions being fired at him and the embarrassed girl hesitantly joined them on stage. Knowing that she wouldn't be comfortable with such a public display of affection, he only kissed her cheek and held her close to him. "What are you doing here?" He whispered. "I though you had filming today."

"Kuon, filming is not nearly as important as attending my boyfriend's funeral." He chucked and kissed the top of her head.

"Thank you." He turned to the reporters who were firing questions at him. Lory stood and walked to the front.

"Perhaps we should take this into the conference room?" He suggested lightly, and everyone quieted down. "All members of the press are welcome to the food and beverages, and can meet us down the hall in twenty minutes." He told them. "Everyone else, thank you for coming. You are welcome to watch the press conference if you like."

While Kuon grabbed a plate of food for him and Kyoko to share (at her request), Maria walked up to her big sister who was sitting alone at a small table. Worried about the girl's reaction, Kyoko clasped her hands. "Maria-chan…I'm so sorry." She whispered. "I know how you feel about R…Kuon, and…I'm sorry."

"Why didn't you tell me?" The little girl's eyes were filled with hurt. She had heard the others talking about her big sister and Ren being in love, but had been sure that her big sister would tell her at some point. But she had waited until Ren announced it to all of Japan. Maria felt her eyes burning and sniffed.

"Oh Maria-chan. I…it's just I've been so busy and so much has gone on and…"

"You were too busy to tell me, Onee-san?" Her voice was reproachful and Kyoko flinched.

"Maria please." She reached out for the little girl, trying to hug her, but Maria stepped away with cold, hurt eyes.

"I though I was your little sister. I though you loved me." A tear slipped down the little girl's face and Kyoko's heart clenched.

"I do!" She cried. "I'm so sorry. I didn't want to hurt you, but I was wrong not to tell you."

"What's going on?" Kuon stepped up with a plate of food and sat it on the table noticing Kyoko's heartbroken look and the tear on Maria's cheek. "Is everything okay?" He looked back and forth between them and Maria smiled bitterly at the ground.

"Everything's fine." She told him simply, walking away. He looked back at Kyoko who had withdrawn, her eyes closed and her arms wrapped around herself.

"Kyoko?" He knelt next to her. "Hey. What happened."

"She hates me." Kyoko managed hoarsely. "She…she really hates me." The girl sobbed and the stunned man held her.

"No she doesn't." He soothed her desperately, wondering if they had time for this. "She loves you. You're her big sister." Kyoko only shook her head and Kuon sighed, pulling away, and pushing the plate toward her. "Eat something. I'll be back." She only stared at the food sadly as he hurried to find the little girl. He checked his watch. 'Only ten minutes….ugh.'

He was ready to scold the little girl until he found her huddled in a corner, crying silently. His heart broke and he pulled her into his arms. "I'm sorry." He whispered at the girl who had thrown her arms around his neck. He rocked them both in the corner, missing the concerned and surprised looks around people were giving them. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. We should have told you. I assumed that you knew and Kyoko has been through so much. But I'm so sorry, Maria. Please don't be angry at Kyoko."

After the girl calmed down, she looked at the gentle face of Kuon as he pulled out a handkerchief and dried her eyes. He then handed it to her to let her blow her nose. "Better?"

She nodded, and he lifted her and stood. He walked back over to Kyoko, Maria in hand, and put the little girl on her lap. The crying woman looked at the little girl who put her arms around her neck. "I'm sorry for being angry with you." The girl whispered into her sister's ear.

"I'm sorry too. I'm sorry for keeping this from you…but I didn't mean to."

"I know. And I'm happy for you. If anyone deserves to be with Re…Kuon-sama, then it's you."

* * *

><p>Kuon sat in the center of the table, with his father on his left and his reluctant girlfriend on his right. Under the table, he clasped her hand. Julie, due to her limited knowledge of the language, sat beside Lory in the audience, who had agreed to translate for her. Kyoko trembled a little, and Kuon gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.<p>

"What if I mess up?" She whispered. Maybe I should wait in the audience."

"You are going to be fine." He told her kindly. "I'm right here."

"What if they ask about me! What do I tell them!"

"Whatever you want. Do you have something to hide?" His eyes were amused.

"No. Of course not."

"Okay then. So just tell the truth."

The conference began and immediately the reporters raised their hand. Kuon gestured to one of the men. "Hizuri-san, when did you and Kyoko-san begin dating?" He almost laughed. It figured that they would be interested in celebrity gossip.

"A few months ago." He gestured to another.

"Kyoko-san." She stiffened and Kuon rubbed circles on her hand with his thumb. "Where have you been for the last few months?"

"In America, with Hizuri Kuu."

"But why?" He asked and she smiled.

"I'm sorry. That's an issue for a different time. This is about Kuon-san." He smirked at the san, but didn't comment, instead pointing to a female reporter.

"How many people knew who your true name, Hizuri-san?"

"At first, only Takarada-san. I recently told my manager, Yukihito Yashiro, and my girlfriend, Kyoko." She blushed at the public admission but remained silent.

A few more people wanted to ask questions, but it seemed like people were interested in Kyoko's disappearance as well.

"How did you find out that Kyoko-san was staying with your family?"

Here Kuu spoke up. "I called my old friend, Takarada-san, because they were all worried about her."

"Why was she staying with you, Kuu-san?"

"I'm afraid we aren't discussing that right now." Lory took this opportunity to stand.

"Actually, Kyoko-chan, would you like to take this time to explain your own disappearance. It seems they would like to know." Frightened at the sudden attention, she shrunk back a little, but nodded when Kuon gave her a reassuring smile.

"Since I am underage, my mother decided that she did not want me working with LME. She brought me to live with her in Kyoto…" She thought for a second. 'Might as well give them the whole story. It will come out soon anyway.' "And was going to marry me off to the son of a business partner of hers, Hayashi-san. I was…afraid, so I ran away, and got a plane ticket to America. I knew Hizuri Kuu-san from his visit in Japan, so I stayed with him."

Reporters immediately began raising their hands and calling her name, but quieted down when the girl nervously stepped back. Kuon moved his arm to hold her and gestured to one of the reporters. "Kuu-san, how well do you know this girl?"

Kuu smiled. "I love her like a daughter." He told them simply. "What father wouldn't help their little girl when they needed a place to live?" The reporter smiled and nodded, and another was called upon.

"Kyoko-san, what have you been doing in America?"

"Um…I have been doing some acting under a stage name, and attending classes at an agency there."

"What have you acted in?"

"Two commercials, and a movie, though I can't talk about it until it premiers." She smiled apologetically.

"How long do you intend to stay in America?"

"Another month or so."

"Will you be returning to LME?"

"Yes, she will." She smiled at Lory's emphatic response from the audience, and nodded her head.

"What does your mother think of that?" One reporter wanted to know, and Kyoko's eyes dropped to the table.

"Um…my mother is dead." She said softly, and the room went silent. Kuon squeezed her shoulders. "But my father has custody, and he has given his permission for me to act in Japan and America."

There was surprised silence, then no more questions at the time. Lory promised to hold another press conference at a later date when she returned to Japan for good, but for the time being, everyone was asked to leave, except for Kyoko, the Hizuris, and Yukihito.

Kyoko insisted that they eat properly this time, which, much to Kuon's annoyance, included generous portions on two separate plates. "Why are you complaining? You haven't eaten all day." Her scolding was light, but there was something sad in her eyes.

"Have you spoken to your father?" Kuon wondered between bites.

"Hmm? Yes. He's right there. We spoke several times on the way here." Her version of his lying smile made him smirk.

"I meant with your real father."

"I thought you said he was my real father." She pouted and he rolled his eyes.

"Kyoko…"

"I'm sorry." Her eyes dimmed. "No. I haven't."

"Lory has already called the police, and they are going to find your sister. She'll be fine. He wouldn't do anything to her."

"That doesn't change the fact that this is my fault." She told him sadly. "If my father had never found me…"

"Don't." His voice was firm, and he took her hands. "Your father loves you. Your sister loves you. They won't blame you. If anyone is to blame, it is your mother." She flinched and he sighed. His voice softened. "She made a deal with him, one that she probably couldn't have gone through with anyway. She made him angry. And he's an idiot anyway, threatening you like that. You shouldn't feel guilty because of what he did." Kuu approached them with a questioning look on his face. Kuon smiled at his father and the man approached.

"Kyoko, we're going to leave tomorrow afternoon. Are you staying at the hotel with your mother and I?" She was about to agree when Kuon squeezed her hand.

"Why don't you come with me?" He asked softly, a plea in his voice. "I'll take you to the Darumaya and you can visit the Okami-san and Taisho-san." He offered. She hesitated for a second, but nodded slowly.

"Okay." She smiled at him.

"Um…are you two sure…" Kuu's voice was hesitant. He obviously didn't approve, but didn't want to outright forbid it. "I mean…" He sighed.

"It'll be fine." She smiled at her father who reluctantly nodded.

"Alright. Kuon, can I talk to you?" He smiled and Kyoko nodded. She stood and headed over to where Julie was sitting alone.

"So where do you want me to bring her tomorrow?"

"The airport." He said shortly. "Kuon, I'm trusting you with my daughter." He said softly. Kuon's brow arched.

"Aren't I your son?"

"Kuon." His voice was warning. "You are the man dating my little girl, and Kuon, I certainly hope nothing that I would object to is going on between the two of you."

"Dad, what do you think I'm doing to her!"

"Have you had sex with her?" Kuon choked on his own spit at this, his cheeks coloring.

"Dad!" He cried, glancing around. Luckily, Kyoko was deep in conversation with her mother.

"Well have you? If you won't tell me, I'll ask her."

"No. Now I haven't." Kuon crossed his arms, obviously annoyed.

"Do you have plans to? Because I don't want her getting pregnant at such a young age."

"Dad, she isn't comfortable with doing…that before marriage."

"Good girl." He smiled. "Don't you dare start pressuring her."

Kuon was incredulous. "What kind of person do you think I am!"

"A male one. I don't care how tempting it is. I expect you to be a perfect gentleman toward her."

Kuon sighed, giving up the argument. "Of course, Dad."

* * *

><p>Kuon and Kyoko sat outside of the Darumaya. Kuon waited, watching her. "Are you going to get out of the car?" He whispered comically, and she laughed.<p>

"Yes…" She didn't move and he laughed softly.

"You just spoke to them on the phone. They know that you are coming…I think they are watching from the window." She giggled nervously and grabbed the door handle, pushing it open. Kuon waited as she slipped slowly out of the car, then followed suit. She walked quickly up to the side entrance and they knocked quietly. The Okami-san opened the door and, without warning, pulled Kyoko into her arms.

"Kyoko-chan!" She cried. "It is so good to see you. And Tsuruga-san." Kuon smiled at her. "Please come in." They entered the kitchen and were ushered to a small table, set up with tea and cakes. "Are you hungry? Would you like something to eat?"

Much to Kuon's relief, Kyoko shook her head. "No, we ate already. But thank you." She said shyly. The Okami-san smiled.

"Of course. Just tea then." The Taisho appeared and regarded Kyoko silently for a moment. The girl stood hesitantly and bowed.

"Taisho-san." She greeted softly, fear hiding in her voice, and the man's harsh face softened. He took a few steps forward, took the girl in his arms, and held her for a moment.

"You should have called sooner." He grunted. She nodded.

"I know. I'm sorry."

He smiled, his eyes lighting up a little. "But we are glad that you are okay." She smiled brightly at the first real father figure she had met in Tokyo, and bowed again.

"Thank you both very much for allowing me to live with you again."

"When will you be returning for good, Kyoko-chan?"

"When my filming is over, so in a month or two." She was obviously excited and all three people in the room smiled.

"How have you been, Tsuruga-san?" The woman asked politely, and he smiled.

"I've been well. But…eh…" He smiled apologetically. "My name, I've gone back to my real name. Hizuri Kuon." Taisho continued to eye him warily, especially when his hand moved toward Kyoko, but the Okami-san smiled brightly and began asking him questions, which he answered politely with a few nervous glances at the Taisho.

* * *

><p>When the restaurant began to fill with the evening rush, Kyoko and Kuon departed with a promise to visit at soon as she returned. They reached his apartment after a quick stop at the grocery store and Kyoko went directly to the kitchen. "You can sit down you know." He told her with a chuckle as he leaned in the doorway. "I can wait."<p>

She rolled her eyes. "You would never eat if you didn't have to. I know you can wait."

"Are you that hungry, then?" He wondered, cocking his head. She sighed.

"No. I just…" She trailed off. "I don't know. I just thought we could get dinner out of the way."

"Oh." His voice dipped and his eyes narrowed. "Does that mean that you have something you want to do after dinner?" Missing the look on his face, Kyoko continued chopping.

"Um, I guess we could watch TV or something, but I don't…" She froze when she glanced at him and saw the Emperor. "Um…" She blushed and looked at the floor, realizing what he was implying. "No." She said softly.

"Are you sure?" He smirked and sauntered up to her and stopped a few centimeters.

"Kuo…" She was silenced by his lips on hers and whimpered a little. When he took a breath, she spoke again. "Kuon we can't…." Mentally rolling her eyes, she let him kiss her again. "Kuon!" He stopped at her tone and pulled away, shoulders slumping. "Kuon, it's not that I don't want to k…kiss you." She blushed brightly. "But…should we really….I mean…" Understanding her fears, he smiled softly.

"I'm not going to do anything to you." He promised. "Trust me."

She stared at him for a second. 'I'm not hungry anyway…he said that he wouldn't…' "Okay." She whispered. He led her over to the sofa and sat, pulling her into his lap. She leaned against him as he kissed her, so happy to have her with him again. His hands, which itched to remove her shirt, made themselves content on her back under the cloth, running up and down the bare skin. She nuzzled his neck, kissing it lightly, and he sighed with his eyes closed. After a few minutes of stroking her skin, he pulled away a little to cool down. She cuddled against his side, putting her arms around him.

'I can't wait until I don't have to stop.' He thought wistfully. 'We can just keep going…she'll let me touch her and…' He slammed his eyes closed. 'No. I don't need to be thinking about that. I love her, and I'm not going to push her into anything. She's not ready. Period.' He sighed. 'I just wish she were…'

Next to him, Kyoko felt herself getting nervous. 'Does he want me to…' She blushed at the very thought. The image of Kuon going any farther, of allowing him to get any closer…it was too much. She wasn't even sure what she was supposed to do. 'But don't men think about it all the time? Does that mean that he is disappointed?' She looked over at him hesitantly. 'I'm not experienced enough for him. I'm sure he would be happier with someone who would let him…do that.' Kuon, feeling her eyes on him, looked down at her.

"What's wrong?" He wondered.

"Kuon…do you want to…um…" The words refused to come out and she felt her cheeks catch fire. "Are you…do you…" He put a hand on her leg.

"Kyoko, what's the matter?"

'I can't loose him.' The thought entered her mind with a ferocity that she hadn't known existed. The thought of him leaving her for another woman made her heart want to fall apart. 'No matter what…if he wants to do…that…then I'll do it.' Still, her mouth refused to work and she felt herself start shaking at the very thought. Kuon, on the other hand, had seen her go from determined to terrified, and was now holding the trembling girl in his arms.

"Kyoko?" He repeated her name for a third time, and her eyes met his. Suddenly, she pressed her lips against his, surprising him, but he let her do it, holding her closely. She moved so that she was in his lap, her stomach pressing against his, and his eyes widened when he felt her pressing against him. 'Oh crap…this won't end well…' He tired to pull away, but Kyoko's had somehow lost her blouse. He groaned at the feel of her skin under his hand, but when her hands moved to her jeans, he stopped her, gently capturing her hands and placing them around his neck. His fuzzy brain began to work things out as he kissed her neck, stilling her hands for a moment. 'She was scared. She doesn't want to have sex with me….so why is she acting like this?" She tried to move her hands to his jeans, but he stopped her again, capturing hers with his own and nuzzling her neck, hoping to slow her down.

"Kuon." She mumbled, sounding a little irritated, and he smiled against her neck.

"Hmm?" He couldn't find her shirt, so he grabbed the blanket off of the back of the couch and wrapped it around them.

"What are you doing?"

"I was afraid that you would get cold." He was sure that she wasn't ready to sleep with him, but since he had no idea what had brought this on, he decided to keep deterring her. She kissed his neck and made another attempt at his pants. Realizing that it was getting harder and harder to stop her, he caught her hands and turned, laying on top of her. "What are you doing?" He pressed his lips against her ear, earning a squeak.

"I was…I thought you wanted to…"

"Kyoko…" He kissed her neck again. "We've talked about this." He reminded her softly.

"But…but I thought you wanted to…"

"Kyoko, I'm not going to rush you into something like that." He told her gently, pulling away to look into her eyes. "Please just tell me what's wrong."

"I thought…I was afraid that…if I didn't…" Kuon wrapped his arms around her, shaking his head at the implication.

"Never." He mumbled. "Never never never. I'm never leaving you, Kyoko. I love you. I can wait." He promised, though he felt his traitorous body reacting to the feeling of her underneath him.

"But I will!" She cried vehemently, making him look at her in surprise. "If that's what you want…I will." Her voice dropped off at the end and he could hear the fear. An idea came to him, and he gently took his hand and trailed it down her side, her thigh, then between her legs almost to the top where her legs met. She stiffened and shook when she felt him there, her eyes slammed shut, and the thought of doing anything else to her when she was in this state was like a cold shower. He removed his hand and pulled her up with him as he sat up.

"I'm not going to hurt you." He promised, rocking her.

"But eventually…" She whispered.

"Not now." He told her firmly. "You aren't ready for that, and I'm not going to do it. It would only be worse for you right now. I'm not upset with you. It is your body and you have every right to want to wait." He told her sincerely, and she nodded, calming down and leaning against him.

* * *

><p>After a while, Kuon looked down at her and heard her stomach grumble. "Are you hungry?" He asked, a little amused. She nodded, but he could tell that she was getting tired from just resting on the sofa. "I'll go fix you something." She blanched and stared at him with wide eyes, and he couldn't help the loud laugh that burst from his mouth. "What?"<p>

"You…are going to cook?"

"Yes. I'll cook! What's wrong with that?"

She was silent for a moment, and then nodded. "Okay. You cook." She started to get up.

"What are you doing?" He wondered while standing and putting the blanket back over her. She realized that she had never put her top back on and slunk back under the blanket. He looked around, grabbed her shirt from the floor, and placed it over the blanket. "You just relax like you are always telling me to. I'll bring it out to you."

"You are going to cook…without any help?" The 'or supervision' was implied. Her voice was bordering on fearful and he rolled his eyes.

"It would be nice if you had some faith in me." He tossed her the remote and headed for the kitchen.

* * *

><p>Lory stared at Kyouta as he paced the floor in his living room. They were waiting. The call had come an hour ago, and Kyouta was imagining all the horrible things that could have happened in the meantime. Lory sat in one of the chairs, a little worried himself. Both men were relieved when they heard the car pull into the driveway. They hurried out the door and Kyouta froze. Kuri stepped out of the car, wrapped in a blanket and crying softly. He ran to her and pulled the crying girl into his arms as the officer stood by. Lory, who had come to visit the man earlier and give him some news about the girl, walked over to the officer.<p>

"She's fine." The man told him in a reassuring tone. "Just a bit shook up. We found her in his home, locked in his basement. She said he never touched her or harmed her, but we had her checked by a physician anyway. No injuries. The doctor gave her something to calm her down, but after she sleeps it off, she should be back to normal." Lory glanced over at the pale girl. Her eyes seemed dull, and she was leaning on her father as if she might collapse.

"And Hayashi-san?"

"He apparently fled before we arrived. We're on the lookout. As soon as we find him, he'll be facing charges of kidnapping."

"Alright. Thank you."

"Are you okay?" Kyouta's voice drifted over to the President and the officer. Kuri only nodded, holding her father tighter, and he led her into the house. Lory followed at a distance, ready to relay the police officer's information. Kyouta put her to bed and listened to Lory.

"I'm so sorry." Lory told him sincerely after he was finished. "I know that I am the one at fault for this, and if there is anything I can do…"

Kyouta shook his head with a soft smile. "No, you've apologized enough. She's fine. They're going to catch the guy." Lory nodded.

"Alright. Please call me if you need anything."

"Takarada-san…is Kyoko okay?" Kyouta knew that Kyoko was in Japan, but he hadn't wanted to leave his house in case the police called with news of his other daughter.

"She's with Kuon." Lory reassured him. "He wouldn't let anything happen to her. But I think she's blaming herself for all this." Kyouta's eyes widened. Not once had he thought that this was the girl's fault. "She tends to do that. Blame herself for the mistakes of others." Kyouta nodded sadly.

"I'll try to call her tomorrow." He told the President. "Tell her that Kuri is okay." The President smiled.

"She'll be glad to hear it from you."

* * *

><p>Kyoko opened her eyes with a start, realizing that she had fallen asleep. She looked around, then at the clock. She had only slept for about half an hour. 'But where's Kuon?' She had waited at least half an hour for him before falling asleep. She sniffed and smelled something burning. Suddenly, she heard the doorbell chime. Before she could stand or call Kuon, the man was at the door, thanking someone, and then bringing in a bag. He placed it on the table in front of her, grabbed a container and a pair of chopsticks, thrust it at her, and then grabbed another. Dropping onto the sofa next to her, he began eating with an irritable expression on his face. Suppressing a laugh, she kissed his cheek, and then began eating as well. "Mm. I must say, Kuon, you have become an excellent cook." She said between bites. He rolled his eyes.<p> 


	42. Kissing her Khan

**A/N: I can't think all of you who review my stories, add them to your alert list, or add to your favorites, enough. It means so much to me to know that people actually read what I write. So, once again, thank you. I give you the final chapter.**

Chapter 42: Kissing her Khan

"Say prayers if you wish, Dashti. You won't be coming back here. Whatever fate they decide for you, they'll enact it today." Dashti bowed, facing the north, shaking too badly to actually pray.

"I'll fill myself with memories of the Eternal Blue Sky. How can a body be too sad or frightened or lonely when she's filled up her soul with the highest sky blue?" The girl whispered, holding back tears. The cook sniffed, not looking at the young girl about to go to trial.

The feasting hall was filled to the brim with chattering gentry and a few commoners. At the front, Lady Vachir, the woman who wanted the Khan for herself, seven chiefs of the land and one empty chair, four shaman, Lady Saren, and Khan Tegus looked up as Dashti entered the room. All were frowning. The city chief, a short round woman with dark eye, spoke first.

"We're here to decide the fate of Dashti, a lady's maid, who claimed nobility and betrothal to our Khan." She held the girl's journal in her hands. "Dashti, why did you claim to be Lady Saren?"

"My lady asked me to. She ordered me on the sacred nine, and I had sworn to obey her."

"Hmm." The woman opened the book and began to read. "Day 33. 'I leaned down, giving him my shirt. He took it, and took my hand, too. His hands were warm today, rough on the palms like well-used leather. And so much larger, my own hand nearly disappeared into his. He didn't say another word, but I felt different, as though he had sung to me the song for heartache.' Day 133. I hadn't even realized until that moment how over these past weeks, I'd begin to bubble with dark things and my heart was boiled hard like tough mutton. I don't think I've ever truly hated a thing in my life like I hated Saren then.'" The Khan's eyes were filled with sympathy, but Dashti stared at the floor, her eyes closed. "Do you have any defense for yourself, Dashti?"

Dashti only shook her head.

"Then I demand her blood! Put her head on the chopping block so that her blood will be spilled!" Lady Vachir stood and began shouting, and Dashti clasped her hands.

"I really am going to die today." She whispered. "And the end is just and everything will be fine." She sat up straighter in her chair. "Silver on blue." She whispered. "A sword against the sky."

Khan Tegus stood from his seat, startling the screaming woman who sat suddenly. "Since Dashti doesn't give her own defense, chiefs, I ask for the right to do so for her." The chiefs all nodded. Khan Tegus approached the stiff girl, who refused to look up past his boots. He held the journal in his hands and read the entry about her confrontation with Khasar. A few of the chiefs mumbled their approval. "There was another part that caught my interest as well. The day you arrived here. First, Dashti, you are a mucker, is that correct?"

"Yes my lord."

"Forgive our ignorance of mucker ways, but as more folk from the steppes come here, we're beginning to learn. I understand that, according to the law of the steppes, if a mucker offers her last animal to another family or clan, accepting that gifts means recognizing the mucker as a member of the family. Is that so?" Dashti gaped at him. "Shira, please relate your first encounter with Dashti." The woman stood and did so.

"She arrived at the gates with Lady Saren and a brown yak. She said she wanted to give the yak to Khan Tegus, that it was a gift fror him."

"Did she ask payment?"

"No. In fact the gatekeeper stated no payment would be given and she offered it anyway. I offered her scrubber work after the gift had been given."

Khan Tegus nodded, gave Dashti a quick smile, then turned to the chiefs. "I submit to you, fhiefs, that Dashti presented me with her last animal, her only means of livelihood, and as such has the right to expect family status. I formally accept her gift of…" He turned to Dashti. "A yak, wasn't it?"

"Yes. A very fine yak." Dashti said with a sad smile.

"Of a very fine yak. Here's where two laws collide. Do we honor Lady Vachir's claim of blood against any who threaten her betrothal, or do we protect Dashti as a member of my own family?" He held up a hand before Lady Vachir could begin screaming again, and took Lady Saren's hand, helping her up. "This Is Lady Saren of Titor's Garden. I have her letters here accepting my offer of betrothal."

"My lord." The chief interrupted. "We've already ruled that your betrothal to Lady Saren precedes that to Lady Vachir. You have every right to marry the true Lady Saren, but this doesn't excuse Dashti's crimes."

"Lady Saren," The Khan looked at the woman seriously. "Why did Dashti claim she was you?"

"I ordered her to. I told her to act in my name. It was my right." She glared at Lady Vachir.

"Nevertheless, the law is paramount. If we don't obey the law, then we create as much chaos as Khasar and his army. If I had to vote now…" The Khan hurriedly interrupted him.

"A moment, chief, please. Don't cast your vote just yet. My lady, tell me what you told me this morning." He looked at Lady Saren urgently.

Saren smiled and spoke loudly. "Dashti is my sister." She announced. Dashti's mouth fell open.

"Now let's be clear. Has she always been your sister?" Tegus asked.

"No." Saren's smile brightened. "But she stayed with me when everyone else left. And…and we spent nearly three years locked in a tower, and when we came out, it was as though we were birth…uh, being born anew. All my real family was dead. Killed by Lord Khasar. And then Dashti faced him and helped av….ave…"

"Avenge." The Khan supplied softly.

"Avenge my family and defend my honor." She turned to the chief with a commanding air and spoke boldly. "Hear me, chiefs, the last lady of Titor's Garden. Dashti never betrayed me, never abandoned me. She was as true as a lady's maid as the Ancestor's ever created." The Khan nodded, then turned to the chiefs.

"I submit to you Dashti, a mucker maid. She said she was gentry, but is that a crime for one who was named as a sister by the lady of Titor's Garden, or for one who earned the right to be considered a member of my own honored family. She proved herself loyal to her lady, even unto risking her own life. For my vote, one in the nine, I find her actions justified, and what some would call a crime, I declare a noble act of loyalty. There was a long silence, and Khan Tegus clenched his jaw. Batu suddenly jumped up.

Come now, my friends. This isn't so difficult. Our khan has done a mightier job here than even we dull brained lot needed. Who among you really thinks this girl committed a crime?"

As the chiefs shook their heads, Khan Tegus took a deep breath and smiled. "Thank you."

Saren embraced Dashti clumsily, whispering in her ear. "I was scared Dashti."

"You did well." She whispered back. "You did so well. Thank you my lady."

Lady Saren shook her head. "No more 'my lady' Dashti. No more of that." Dashti's jaw dropped and she stared at her. In the background the chiefs were talking, Batu was slapping Tegus on the back, and both men were smiling.

"And now at last." One of the chiefs stood. "We'll have our khan's wedding. Lady Saren, may I be the first to congratulate you."

Tegus and Saren stared at each other, and Dashti paled. Tegus glanced at the girl, and then turned back to Saren. "Lady Saren, we are betrothed. Do you wish to wed me?"

There was a long pause. Saren looked back and forth from Tegus to Dashti with a troubled look in her eyes. "Khan Tegus, I would rather not marry you. However…" Her loud voice cut through the clamor. "I retain my right to our betrothal and I exact it for my sister, Dashti." Batu chuckled and Dashti looked around, a stunned look on her face. Tegus smiled at her softly, and the realization dawned on her.

Tegus walked up to her, then fell to one knee. Dashti's surprise came out in a startled laugh, and he laughed as well. "All right, all right." He said, forcing a straight face. "Dashti of Titor's Garden, Dashti of the steppes, will you please be my betrothed and my bride and my wife in this realm and the next?" She began shaking and a tear fell down her face. Desperate, she looked over to Saren. The girl smiled softly and looked at her friend. "Yes. Yes she will."

"Cut!" The director stood and clapped. "Perfect! Halee, Rosa…perfect. Stand by for the next scene." Both girls nodded and Zach walked over to them.

"That was one of the longest scenes yet." He said idly, taking a drink of water from a bottle his manager hurried to hand him.

"But we're almost done." Halee reminded him cheerfully. "The wedding scene is next."

"Okay guys. Time for the last scene! Get into make up and wardrobe."

The three stars hurried to their respective dressing rooms, and then took their places.

Dashti wore a deep blue dress, embroidered with yellow and gold thread. She started to grab a veil, but Tegus took her hand.

"I want to see you as we take the vows. I want everyone to see you. My Dashti." Then he kissed her.

For a second, Kyoko's body wanted to rebel. 'That isn't Kuon! No. I can't do this now. I'm acting. I have to be Dashti…' She put her arm around his neck and kissed him back.

The wedding was as extravagant as anything Dashti had ever seen. And at the feast, Saren led Dashti all of the trays of food that she had prepared. "I like working with food, Dashti. I like to arrange things and make them look pretty." She told her sister with a smile. Two of Tegus's cousins fought with fish bones to see who got to sit beside her, and Saren giggled. Dashti turned to her husband.

"No one has permission to court her until I know every detail of his life and personality." She told him simply. "Saren deserves a gentle man, someone sweet who makes her laugh, who doesn't make her feel dull-witted, and when his arms are around her, she knows she's in the safest place in all the realms."

Tegus grinned and put an arm around her. "We'll find the right one. I have thirty seven cousins."

The last scene showed Dashti, dressed in a silver dress, sitting at a table in her room alone, writing in her journal. "I was remembering when Tegus and I spoke through the tower and he'd said, "Would that I could take you out of here, and hold a feast and a dance, and see you bedecked in a silver dress." And there just happens to be a dress in the wardrobe made of silver silk. I can't wait to see his face when he sees me in it. I plan to laugh and laugh and dance and maybe I'll kiss him again, kiss my khan, right in front of the whole world." Dashti closed the book and smiled softly.

"Cut! That's a wrap! Thank you everyone!"

* * *

><p>When Kuu and Julie entered the LME lobby, they found Kyouta, Kuri, the President, Maria, Kanae, and Yukihito, along with the Darumaya couple, waiting. "How did you you two arrive before her!" Lory cried. Kuu grinned.<p>

"When are they going to be here?" Julie cried impatiently.

"Calm down. Her plane won't arrive for another twenty minutes." Lory motioned for them to join them.

* * *

><p>Kuon sat in the airport, clenching his hands, excitement in his eyes. Looking up, his eyes caught the girl walking toward him, and he jumped up. Kyoko grinned as he ran toward her. She laughed, dropped her bag, and let him lift her into the air, spin her around, and kiss her on the lips. When he finally pulled away, she laughed again.<p>

"Kuon, it's only been a few weeks since I've seen you."

He grinned. "But you're home for good now." He told her simply, and then kissed her again. Kyoko realized that people were watching, and that she would be embarrassed later, but at the moment, with his arms around her and his gentle eyes on hers, she didn't care. She hugged him tightly.

"I love you." She told him softly. "I'm so glad to be home."

He picked up her bag and wrapped his arm around her. "Come on. Let's drop your things off at the Darumaya, and then we have a meeting with Lory." She nodded and walked with him, leaning her head against his chest.

'I'm home. As much as I am going to miss my father and mother, I have family here, and I can visit anytime. The President told me that the Director of Box R wanted me to resume Natsu, and my movie premiers soon.' She smiled and looked up at Kuon. 'And then there is him. Never in a million years did I ever believe that I could be so happy, or that someone could love me like he does.'

* * *

><p>Kuon could feel the weight of the little box in his pocket as they entered LME, and his heart felt like it might stop. He took a deep breath and went over the plan in his mind again. 'Everything is going to be perfect, if I can just keep the President distracted.' He grinned down at her. 'She will finally be mine completely, and I'll be hers.' He caught sight of everyone waiting in the lobby right before Kyoko did, and stopped abrubtly.<p>

"Kuon? What are you..." She froze when she realized that he was now nearly at eye level with her. "Kuon?" She whispered, glancing around.

"Kyoko Mogami." He took a deep breath and looked up into her eyes. "I love you. I have loved you since we were children, and there is nothing I want more than to spend the rest of my life with you." She felt like she was going to faint, but somehow managed to stay on her feet, completely unaware that Yukihito, Lory, Kuu, and Kyouta were all filming the moment. Kuon took her hand and kissed it softly. She felt a blush cover her whole body. "Kyoko, will you marry me?" His voice fell off slightly at the end and she smiled softly.

It all started with a call. It ended with Kyoko, kissing her Khan, in the middle of LME, a ring sparkling on her finger, surrounded by everyone she loved.

**The End**


	43. Epilogue

Epilogue

Kyoko Hizuri…she had to laugh a little at the thought, sat next to her husband (once again, the thought was too strange to even contemplate at the moment) as the reception went on around them. She looked down at her hand, which was enveloped in his. Kuu, Julie, Kyouta, Kuri, the Okami-san, and the Taisho were all sitting at their table, engaged in soft conversation. Well, all conversations sort of fell into the background when Kuon was touching her. For a brief moment, she let her mind continue with that though, but she felt a blush cover her cheeks and immediately shoved it back down. Looking up, she realized that he was smirking at her. "What are you thinking about?" He asked softly. She studied the tablecloth, blushing softly.

"Nothing." She mumbled. He laughed, obviously not believing her, but only squeezed her hand. He cut off a piece of cake and held it to her lips, making her blush again. Julie cooed and Kuu grinned. Kuri giggled a little as her bright red sister ducked away. "Kuon!" She squeaked.

"Do you not want any cake?" He asked sadly, giving her the look of a wounded puppy. She opened her mouth a little and he gently pushed the fork into her mouth, watching her take the cake and chew with a small smile, and suppressed the urge to taste it himself. Instead, he returned to his own food, which, considering how much he was enjoying himself, wasn't hard to eat at all.

Kuri watched as Kuon and Kyoko stole glances at each other, how they never stopped touching or speaking to one another, and felt herself blush a little. 'He is obviously not a Japanese man….he is so blatant about his feelings." She stood and excused herself. Watching her sister leave the room, Kyoko stood, pulling away from Kuon. The sad, lost expression made her roll her eyes. "I'll be back." She told him softly, and he nodded. Kyoko followed her sister out the door and onto the balcony where the girl leaned on the railing.

"Hey." She greeted the younger girl softly. Kuri smiled up at the woman who, although she had only known her for about a year, now felt like her true sister.

"Hello Kyoko." Kyoko leaned against the railing beside her. "You look so beautiful." She told her happily. "Your wedding…it was so wonderful. He loves you."

Kyoko blushed. "Thank you. The President planned it mostly, with Maria's help." She fingered the material of her dress.

"Are you nervous?" Kuri asked with a small smirk, and Kyoko blushed. She had only shared her fears with her best friend, who had assured her that it was nothing to be afraid of (which had led to a long and embarrassingly loud conversation in the Love Me room, which Lory had enjoyed greatly via the security tapes) and with the Okami-san (briefly). She was far too embarrassed to talk to Julie, and the men in her life were out of the question.

"Yea, a little." She clasped her hands.

"I couldn't do it." The younger girl whispered. "I would be too scared."

Kyoko smiled. "No, you wouldn't. It's not just scary. I'm excited too. I….I love him so much, Kuri." The young girl watched at her sister seemed to glow with happiness and embraced her suddenly.

"I'm glad." She whispered. "I hope that I can be that happy some day." The girl pulled away, suddenly embarrassed, but Kyoko laughed and held her

"You will be." She pulled away, holding the girl by her shoulders. "One day, you'll meet someone like I did."

Kuri lifted a brow. "I didn't meet any fairies when I was little." Kyoko laughed out loud. They had shared that story with the entire family, and it had been repeated many times by now. Kyoko had a feeling that it would be told over and over to their children.

"No. But you'll meet someone who loves you, just like Kuon loves me." Kyoko glanced behind them with a smile. "And like Yukihito loves Moko-san."

"MO! I told you to stop calling me that! And that is supposed to be a secret!" She cried irritably.

Kyoko smirked. "A secret? Everyone knows, Moko-san. And in about four months, there won't be any doubt that you are seeing someone." Kanae wrapped her hands around her stomach, irritated.

"Did you want to tell anyone else!"

Kyoko smiled and walked over, hugging her friend gently. "Oh come on Moko-san. He's proposed twice. Just marry him and tell everyone." Kanae rolled her eyes.

"Why would I want to do that?"

"Because you love him!" Kanae glared at Kyoko's little sister and Kyoko giggled.

"Mo." The girl mumbled. No one had told the President about her condition and she had threatened anyone who shared the news with murder, but she was starting to think that Kyoko was right.

"What are you girls doing out here?" Julie poked her head out, then joined them. Kuri smiled and bowed a little, only to be hugged tightly. "My little girls look so pretty. Especially you, sweetheart." She held Kyoko, kissing her forehead. "Oh!" She cried, tears suddenly falling from her eyes. "I feel like just yesterday you were a little girl…and now you're married!" She wailed. "To my son!" No one pointed out that Julie had only met Kyoko a little over a year ago.

Kuu, who had had a wonderful time telling everyone that he knew that his son and daughter were getting married…to each other, embraced his wife from behind. "What's wrong, sweetheart. Why are you all out here?"

Julie perked up, turning in her husband's arms. "Isn't our baby girl beautiful!" She cried.

"Yes. She is." Kuon joined them, coming to stand beside his new wife. "What are you all doing?" Yukihito appeared in the doorway and placed his arms around his girlfriend, his hand resting gently on her still flat stomach.

"I was just wondering the same thing." He whispered in her ear, and she smiled a little, leaning against him. "How are you?" He asked softly.

"I'm fine, thanks for asking again, although I wish you'd quit." Kuon smirked.

"Yea. You'd better laugh now. It'll be your turn soon." Yukihito smiled cruelly, and Kyoko blushed brightly, burying her face in Kuon's jacket. Kanae only rolled her eyes.

"His turn for what?" Lory stepped out onto balcony. "What's going on out.." He froze when he saw Yukihito's hands on Kanae's stomach, Kyoko's blush, and Kuon's smirk. "Love me number two." He turned and looked at her sternly. "What are you hiding from me? Are you…" He looked around, as if someone who didn't already know would overhear. "pregnant?" He whispered the word.

"Thanks a lot Yukihito." She mumbled.

"Wait…this is wonderful!" The man cried, and everyone stared at him in disbelief. "Another wedding to plan!"

"Um…actually…we..." Making up her mind, Kanae put her hands over his and smiled sheepishly at the president.

"Actually, that would be great. We could use some help."

* * *

><p>Kuon carried Kyoko into the apartment bridal style, and she laughed softly. It was late and she was exhausted, which had as much to do with her being in his arms as the old tradition. She rested her head against his arm, and kept quiet as he carried her into their bedroom. He sat her down on the bed and stood. "I'm going to go get changed." He told her with a smile. She nodded and grabbed her overnight bag when he left the room, changing into her pajamas. Her luggage was still at the Darumaya, and they were going on their honeymoon the next day, so she hadn't brought much that night.<p>

She sat on the bed, with her hands clasped, and waited. He emerged dressed in pajama pants and sat on the bed beside her. He pressed his lips against her neck and made his way to her mouth. She returned the kisses, putting her arms around his neck, and he responded by running his hands over he skin, memorizing every inch of it he could reach. He felt her tremble a little and pulled away. "We don't have to." He mumbled softly, hating himself for every word. "We can wait until the honeymoon if you want."

She looked up into his eyes and smiled, reaching up and kissing him softly. "No. I don't want to wait anymore." She blushed and looked down. "It's just…I don't really know what to do."

The Emperor showed up, kissing her softly, then slipping his tongue into her mouth and tasting her. "I'll teach you." He promised, and she nodded, allowing him to guide her.

So, to make a very long story short, they lived happily ever after.

**A/N: THANK YOU! For all the reviews and kindness. I got a couple of requests for an epilogue, so here it is. THE END. (For real this time.)**


	44. Television

**A/N: So someone requested to see Sho's reaction to the news that Ren was Kuon, and I didn't have time to work on the next chapter of 'Turn Right'. I hope you enjoy :) (I am thinking about continuing either this or The Halloween Party...but I'm not too sure. I really like the current fic I am working on, though it doesn't seem to have as many fans, and it will not be that long.) Well, let me know if you like this.**

Television

"Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to thank you on behalf of LME and myself for coming today." Sho cocked and eyebrow and turned the volume up a little, setting his guitar to the side. He didn't have any pressing work to do, and he knew that Kyoko worked for that entertainment company. 'Maybe she'll be on TV.' "As you all know, Tsuruga Ren was the number on actor in Japan, and a close friend of my family." Sho's eyes widened and he leaned forward.

"No way." He mumbled, a strange feeling flooding through his chest. 'He's dead?' Worry for Kyoko was first, then he remembered. 'She's wasn't dating Tsuruga. She was dating the blonde guy from America. Still, they were friends. I'm sure she is heartbroken. I guess he wasn't such a horrible guy...' He leaned back again, about to change the channel and call Kyoko, when the 'blonde guy from America' appeared on the screen.

"I am here to lay to rest the man, Tsuruga Ren, and to introduce myself, Hizuri Kuon." Sho's jaw dropped all all good will toward the man on the screen vanished, replaced with fury. Not listening to anything else the man said, he grabbed his phone and dialed the familiar number.

"You have reached Mogami Kyoko. Please leave a…" With a cry of frustration, he slammed the phone shut and turned his attention back to the TV.

"…to my family. My father, Hizuri Kuu." Sho recognized the tall blonde man and woman from visiting Kyoko. "And my mother, Hizuri Julie." Suddenly, Kuon smiled softly at someone in the audience. "And my other surprise gift, my girlfriend, actress Kyoko." Sho glared at the TV as the blushing girl joined him on the stage and received a kiss on the cheek. The two spoke softly, words he couldn't make out, but then Kuon kissed her head and held her.

Shoko entered the room when she heard the crash. "Sho, are you..." The boy slammed into her, and she took a step back as he stormed past her. "Sho! What are you…." He whirled and fixed here with a heated glare.

"Tsuruga won!" He snarled, then stormed down the hallway. She flinched when she heard a door slam. Unsure of what he was talking about, Shoko entered the room and gasped. The flat screen TV was leaning against the wall crookedly, the screen reduced to shards of broken plastic.


End file.
